GERMAN  ACHIEVEMENTS 


IN  AMERICA 


UC-NRLF 


u 


BvRUDOLF  CRONAU 


uXCH 


GERMAN  PIONEERS. 


GROUP  OF  THE    MONUMENT  ERECTED  BY  THE    NATIONAL  GERMAN   AMERICAN 

ALLIANCE  TO  THE  MEMORY  OF  THE  SETTLERS  OF  GERMANTOWN,  PA. 

MODELED   BY  ALBERT  JAEGERS. 


German  Achievements 


IN   AMERICA 


A  Tribute  to  the  memory  of  the  men  and  women, 
who  worked,  fought  and  died  for  the  welfare  of 
this  country;  and  a  recognition  of  the  living  who 
with  equal  enterprise,  genius  and  patriotism  helped 
in  the  making  of  our 

UNITED  STATES 


By  RUDOLF  CRONAU 


•*W~6 


PUBLISHED  BY 
RUDOLF    CRONAU   340  EAST  198th  ST.,  NEW  YORK 


COPYRIGHT    1916    by    RUDOLF    CRONAU 


WORKS  BY  THE  SAME  AUTHOR 

Geschichte  der  Solinger  Klingenindustrie    (Stuttgart,    1885). 

Von  Wunderland  zu  Wunderland.  Landschafts-  und  Lebens- 
bilder  aus  den  Staaten  und  Territorien  der  Union  (2  Vol., 
Leipzig,   1886). 

Fahrten  im  Lande  der  Sioux  Indianer   (Leipzig,    1886). 

Geschichte,   Wesen  und   Praxis  der   Reklame    (Ulm,    1887). 

Im  wilden  Westen.  Eine  Kunstlerfahrt  durch  die  Prairien 
und  Felsengebirge  der  Union  (Braunschweig,   1890). 

Amerika,  die  Geschichte  seiner  Entdeckung  von  der  altesten 
bis  auf  die  neueste  Zeit  (2  Vol.,  Leipzig,   1890-92). 

America,  historia  de  su  descubrimiento  desde  los  tiempos 
primitivos  hasta  los  mas  modernos  (3  Vol.  Barcelona, 
1892). 

Illustrative  Cloud  Forms  for  the  Guidance  of  Observers  in 
the  Classification  of  Clouds  (U.  S.  Publication  No.  1  12. 
Washington,  D.  C,    1897). 

Our  Wasteful  Nation.  The  Story  of  American  Prodigality 
and  the  Abuse  of  Our  National  Resources  (New  York, 
1908). 

Drei  Jahrhunderte  deutschen  Lebens  in  Amerika  (Berlin, 
1909). 

Do  We  Need  a  Third  War  for  Independence?  (New  York, 
1914). 

The  British  Black  Book  (New  York,    1915). 

England  a  DestrqjferC  of'$£tio&i  (New  York,   1915). 

Our  Hyphenated  Citizens,     Are  They  Right  or  Wrong?  (New 

York,/>9'l6)i.  V:'-  :  -I:    :  ;/.    : 


To  the  millions  of  children,  born  of  German 
parents  and  raised  in  German  American  homes, 
the  Hope  and  Future  of  our  United  States,  this 
book  is  dedicated  by 

THE  AUTHOR. 


M131289 


CONTENTS. 


Introduction 7 

Mediaeval  Germany  and  the  Causes  of  German  Emigra- 
tion   9 

German  Predecessors  of  the  Puritans 13 

Pastorius  and  the  Settlers  of  Germantown Id 

The  Coming  of  the  Palatines 25 

The  Life  of  the  German  Settlers  in  Colonial  Times 29 

Promoters  of  the  Cause  of  Liberty 37 

Heroes  in  the  War  for  Independence 45 

Friedrich   Wilhelm   von   Steuben,    the   Organizer   of   the 

American   Army 55 

Pioneers  of  the  Ohio  Region 63 

Pioneers  of  the  Mississippi  Valley  and  the  Far  West.  .  70 

The  Men  of  1  848 79 

Distinguished  Germans  in  American  Politics 81 

The  German  Americans  in  the  Wars  of  the  1  9th  Century .  96 

Leaders  in  Agriculture,  Industry  and  Commerce 1  08 

The  North  American  Turner  Bund  and  its  Influence  on  the 

Physical  Development  of  the  American  Nation ...  121 
The  Influence  of  German  Learning  and  Methods  on  Edu- 
cation in  the  U.  S 124 

Eminent  Scientists 130 

Great   Engineers 134 

Organizers  of  American  Traffic  and  Transportation.  ...  147 

The   German  American   Press 151 

Noteworthy  Authors  and  Poets 155 

German   Music   and   Song   in   America 1  72 

The  German  Drama  and  Opera  in  the  U.  S 1  78 

Well-known  Artists,  Sculptors  and  Architects 183 

German^  American  Women  and  their  Works 207 

Monuments  of  Philanthropy 212 

The   National   German   American   Alliance   and  its   Pur- 
poses   216 

The  Future  Mission  of  the  German  Element  in  America.  224 


INTRODUCTION. 

HE  great  world  war  which  has  plunged  the 
European  nations  into  endless  misery,  suffering 
and  death,  has  brought  embarrassment  also 
to  all  American  citizens  of  German  descent. 
Sowing  in  unprecedented  manner  discord,  envy, 
calumny  and  prejudice,  it  compelled  the  German 
Americans  constantly  to  parry  most  unwarranted  insinuations, 
launched  by  men  who  ought  to  know  better,  yet  apparently 
find  delight  in  questioning  the  loyalty  of  the  German  Americans 
toward  the  land  of  their  adoption. 

If  there  be  any  one  inclined  to  lend  an  ear  to  these  most 
despicable  and  baseless  insinuations,  let  him  inform  himself 
through  the  pages  of  this  book  of  the  glorious  past  of  the 
German  element  in  America,  of  its  well-nigh  endless  record 
of  achievements  and  sacrifices  on  behalf  of  the  nation,  of  its 
enduring  patriotism  when  others  failed  of  their  duty  or  knew 
not  where  to  turn. 

The  descendants  of  Germans  in  this  country  may  justly  be 
proud  of  the  fact  that  their  ancestors  were  among  the  first 
American  pioneers;  that  they  were  the  makers  of  true  American 
homes,  and  that  they  participated  in  laying  the  foundations 
upon  which  the  entire  present-day  structure  of  our  United 
States   has   been   reared. 

That  the  reverent  love  which  the  Germans  bear  the  land 
of  their  birth  in  no  way  tends  to  diminish  the  loyalty  which 
they  owe  to  the  country  of  their  adoption,  is  a  fact  which  no 
fair-minded  man  requires  to  be  proved,  but  of  which  this 
record  bears  ample  witness.  In  defense  of  the  Constitution, 
for  the  preservation  of  liberty  and  the  rights  of  man  they  will 
stand  firm  and  unafraid  as  of  yore. 

In  view  of  these  facts  it  is  the  paramount  duty  of  all  Amer- 
icans of  German  descent  to  unite  in  order  to  take  appropriate 
measures  in  self-defense  as  well  as  to  protect  their  good  name. 
Not  only  is  it  their  task  to  convince  their  fellow  citizens,  irre- 
spective of  origin,  of  the  unswerving  loyalty  of  the  German 
element  through  making  them  acquainted  with  its  glorious  past 
and  enduring  patriotism,  but,  above  all,  they  must  inform  their 


own  children  of  the  achievements  of  their  ancestors.  Only  in 
this  way  can  they  make  them  proud  of  their  origin  and  interest 
them  in  the  great  mission  which  the  rising  generation  is 
expected  to  fulfill. 

The  conditions,  created  by  the  war  in  our  United  States, 
made  apparent  the  need  of  such  a  book  as  is  offered  herewith. 
Having  been  welcomed  by  thousands  of  enthusiastic  readers 
and  the  entire  German  American  press,  it  appears  now  in  its 
third  edition.  May  it  continue  to  set  aright  the  opinion  of  our 
American  people  with  regard  to  their  German  fellow-citizens, 
and  may  it  inspire  our  young  generation  to  emulate  the 
industry,  enterprise  and  patriotism,  which  have  distinguished 
the  men  and  women  of  whom  it  tells. 


Mediaeval  Germany  and  the  Causes  of 
German  Emigration. 


Far  beyond  the  Atlantic,  occupying  the  greater  part  of 
central  Europe,  lies  a  country  dear  to  all  Americans  of 
German  descent.  It  is  known  as  a  land  of  romantic  scenery, 
where  the  most  beautiful  of  rivers,  the  Rhine,  sweeps  through 
vineclad  mountains;  where  gray  old  churches  and  majestic 
cathedrals  point  heavenward;  where  in  crumbling  castles, 
sombre  forests  and  silent  valleys  cling  thousands  of  legends 
and  fairy  tales.  It  is  praised  as  the  home  of  science;  as  the 
birthplace  of  eminent  philosophers  and  poets,  whose  names 
are  known  throughout  the  world.  It  is  hailed  as  the  land 
of  great  artists,  sculptors  and  composers;  as  the  cradle  of 
most  important  inventions,  that  gave  new  impulse  to  mankind. 
Americans  of  German  origin  cherish  it  as  the  land  of  their 
ancestors,  as  the  "Old  Fatherland,"  and  when  speaking  of 
it,  they  feel  a  longing  tugging  at  their  heartstrings. 

Reminiscences  of  the  past  are  then  revived.  Noble  heroes, 
none  greater  known  to  history,  arise  before  their  minds: 
Hermann  the  Cheruskan,  the  Emperors  Karl  and  Otto  the 
Great,  Frederick  Barbarossa,  Rudolf  and  Maximilian,  who, 
during  the  middle  ages,  made  Germany  the  most  prosperous 
and  powerful  empire  in  Europe. 

Under  the  sceptre  of  such  brilliant  rulers  beautiful  castles 
and  palaces,  imposing  churches  and  cathedrals  arose  every- 
where. Villages  and  cities  sprang  into  existence  and  became 
the  homes  of  able  craftsmen,  who  united  into  powerful  guilds. 
Enterprising  merchants  opened  commerce  with  all  countries 
of  Europe  and  the  Orient.  Many  of  these  merchant-princes 
became  famous  for  their  wealth.  As  for  instance  the  Fuggers 
of  Augsburg,  who  amassed  a  fortune  amounting  to  more  than 
60  Million  Gulden;  then  the  Welsers,  who  were  able  to 
advance  to  Emperor  Charles  V.  a  loan  of  twelve  tons  of  gold. 

These  merchants,  however,  were  not  lost  in  selfishness. 
Proud  of  their  native  cities,  they  contributed  freely  to  their 
beauty  and  importance.  And  so  the  German  cities  of  the 
Middle  Ages  gained  steadily  in  splendor  and  influence.  To 
further  their  interests,  many  of  these  cities  combined  to  form 
powerful   federations.      The  cities  of  Southern   Germany  for 


instance  founded  the  "Schwaebische  Staedtebund ;"  the  cities 
of  Northern  Germany  the  "Hansa,"  which,  embracing  85 
cities,   became  the  most  famous  of  all. 

Emperors,  princes  and  magistrates  vied  with  one  another 
in  beautifying  their  cities.  To  impress  foreigners  with  the 
cities'  importance  and  wealth,  the  entrance  gates  as  well  as 
the  town  halls,  proud  symbols  of  self-government,  were 
adorned  with  magnificent  portals,  colonades  and  sculpture 
work.  The  great  show  pieces  of  these  buildings  were,  how- 
ever, the  state  or  banquet  halls,  on  which  often  enormous 
sums  were  lavished.  Here  were  to  be  found  exquisite  carvings 
in  wood,  costly  tapestries  and  paintings.  From  the  ceilings 
hung  elaborate  chandeliers  and  models  of  merchant  vessels 
or  men-of-war.  The  ornaments  of  the  fire  places  bore  the 
coat  of  arms  of  the  city  or  of  such  families,  which  had  played 
in  the  history  of  the  community  important  roles.  Richly 
carved  closets  and  chests  contained  the  treasures  of  the  city: 
beautiful  dishes,  bowls  and  cups  of  ebony,  ivory,  crystal, 
silver  and  gold.  And  over  all  this  splendor  rays  of  sunshine, 
breaking  through  beautiful  windows  of  stained  glass,  cast  a 
bewitching   light. 

In  the  public  squares,  fronting  these  city  halls,  arose  mag- 
nificent fountains,  topped  with  the  figures  of  the  city  patrons 
or  famous  knights  or  kings. 

While  thus  the  rulers  and  magistrates  beautified  all  public 
buildings  and  squares,  the  burghers  did  their  best  to  complete 
the  picture.  The  innate  sense  for  art  accomplished  wonders 
in  many  cities  of  Germany.  Loving  their  homes,  the  citizens 
adorned  the  front  of  their  houses  with  carvings  and  allegorical 
paintings.  Even  such  inconspicuous  objects  as  weather-vanes 
and  door-knockers  became  in  the  hands  of  skilled  craftsmen 
specimens  of  genuine  art.  However,  these  efforts  to  beautify 
the  exterior  of  the  houses,  were  not  accomplished  to  the 
neglect  of  the  interior.  Wealthy  families  took  pride  in  artistic 
furniture,  beautiful  carpets,  precious  objects  of  crystal  and 
silver,  and  in  paintings  and  etchings  by  famous  masters. 

This  period  of  prosperity  and  culture  was  also  a  time  of 
great  ecclesiastic  architecture.  Especially  the  architects  of 
the  1  1th,  12th  and  1  3th  centuries  created  cathedrals,  which  in 
bold  construction  and  sublime  beauty  surpass  everything 
hitherto  and  since  accomplished.  The  cathedrals  of  Worms, 
Speyer,  Mayence,  Frankfort  on  the  Main,  Ulm,  Strassburg, 
Cologne  and  other  cities  rank  among  the  greatest  master- 
pieces  of   Romanic  and   Gothic  art. 

The  Middle  Ages  were  also  a  period  in  which  great  German 
poets,  artists,  inventors  and  reformers  flourished.  Then  it 
was,  that  one  of  the  masterpieces  of  the  world's  literature, 
the  "Nibelungenlied,"  was  written.  Then  it  was,  that  Walter 
von  der  Vogelweide,  Wolfram  von  Eschenbach,  Heinrich  von 

10 


Offterdingen,  Frauenlob  and  many  others  wrote  the  most 
inspiring  poems  in  praise  of  womanhood.  It  was  also  the 
time  of  Albrecht  Duerer,  Hans  Holbein,  Lucas  Cranach, 
Stephan  Lochner,  Peter  Vischer  and  other  artists,  who  belong 
to  the  greatest  of  the  great.  Berthold  Schwarz  invented  gun- 
powder, causing  thereby  a  thorough  revolution  in  warfare. 
Johannes  Gutenberg,  by  inventing  movable  type,  made  the 
art  of  printing  the  most  effective  means  for  distributing 
knowledge  and  enlightenment  throughout  the  world.  The 
astronomers  Kopernikus  and  Kepler  opened  new  vistas  by 
establishing  the  fact,  contrary  to  the  teachings  of  the  Bible, 
that  the  sun  does  not  move  around  the  earth,  but  is  a  center, 
around  which  the  earth  and  many  other  planets  revolve. 

Another  imposing  figure  of  these  great  times  was  Martin 
Luther,  who  gave  to  his  people  not  only  the  German  Bible, 
but  with  it,  a  literary  language.  Whereas,  up  to  his  time,  every 
German  writer  had  written  in  the  dialect  with  which  he  was 
familiar,  the  language  used  by  Luther  in  his  translation  of  the 
Bible  became  the  common  one  in  all  Germany,  proving  the 
most  powerful  factor  toward  forming  national  unity  and  in 
establishing  a  national  literature. 

In  view  of  all  these  facts  we  may  well  ask,  why  people 
abandoned  such  a  glorious  land  and  emigrated  to  far  distant 
countries  of  which  they  knew  nothing  and  where  their  future 
was   uncertain? 

In   history   we   find    the   answer. 

The  reformation,  initiated  by  Luther,  resulted, unfortunately, 
in  conflict  among  religious  creeds  and  was  followed  by  the  most 
overwhelming  calamity  that  ever  befell  any  country.  Begin- 
ning in  1618  and  lasting  till  1648,  the  so-called  Thirty  Years* 
War  swept  over  Germany  like  a  hurricane,  ruining  it  beyond 
recognition.  Hundreds  of  cities  and  villages  were  burned  by 
Spanish,  Italian,  Hungarian,  Dutch  and  Swedish  soldiers,  who 
made  Germany  their  battleground.  Of  the  1  7  million  inhabi- 
tants of  Germany  1 3  millions  were  killed  or  swept  away 
through  starvation  and  the  pest.  In  Bohemia  the  population 
was  diminished  from  3,000,000  to  780,000.  In  Saxony, 
during  the  two  years  1631  and  1632,  943,000  persons  were 
slaughtered  or  died  through  sickness  and  want.  In  Wiirtem- 
berg  over  500,000  lost  their  lives.  The  Palatinate,  having 
had  a  population  of  500,000,  suffered  a  loss  of  45  7,000. 
In  some  parts  of  Thuringia  ninety  per  cent,  of  all  the  people 
perished.  Agriculture,  commerce,  industries  and  the  arts 
were  annihilated.  Of  many  villages  nothing  remained  but 
their  names.  According  to  the  chronicles  of  these  times,  one 
could  wander  for  many  miles  without  seeing  a  living  creature 
except  wolves  and  ravens.  It  was  during  those  dreadful  years 
that  Alsace  and  Lorraine,  two  of  the  richest  countries  of 
Germany,  were  stolen  by  France. 

11 


The  terrors  of  all  these  calamities  were  not  forgotten, 
when,  at  the  end  of  the  1  7th  and  at  the  beginning  of  the 
18th  centuries,  the  "most  Christian  king"  Louis  XIV.  of 
France  ordered  his  generals  to  raid  the  countries  along  the 
Rhine  and   to  make  them  one  vast  desert. 

In  obeying  this  cruel  command  the  French  armies  destroyed 
everything  that  had  survived  the  ravages  of  the  Thirty  Years' 
War.  Dozens  of  cities  were  laid  in  ashes.  Villages  without 
number  went  up  in  flames.  The  ruins  of  hundreds  of  beauti- 
ful castles  on  the  Rhine,  Moselle  and  Neckar,  among  them 
Heidelberg,  are  lasting  reminders  of  the  years  when  the 
demons  of  rape  and  devastation  held  sway. 

Besides  such  calamities,  many  German  countries  suffered 
from  oppression  by  their  own  princes,  who  tried  to  ape  the 
splendor  of  the  court  of  Louis  XIV.,  and  indulged  in  brilliant 
festivals,  the  cost  of  which  had  to  be  borne  by  the  people. 
And  in  accordance  with  the  old  motto  "cujus  regio,  ejus 
religio"  ("Who  governs  the  people,  gives  them  also  their 
religion")  these  princes  quite  often  forced  their  subjects  to 
change  their  faith  according  to  their  own  belief.  The  Pala- 
tines, for  instance,  were  compelled  to  change  their  faith 
several  times.  From  Catholics  they  had  to  become  Protestants, 
then  Reformed,  later  on  Lutherans  and  finally  Catholics  once 
more. 

In  1  756  the  long  suffering  inhabitants  of  Germany  were 
overrun  again  by  the  furies  of  war,  when  France,  Russia, 
Poland,  Sweden,  Saxony  and  Austria  sought  to  divide  the 
kingdom  of  Frederick  the  Great. 

The  desperate  struggle,  then  ensuing,  is  known  as  the  Seven 
Years'  War,  Only  42  years  later  it  was  followed  by  the 
onslaught  of  that  monstrous  adventurer  Napoleon  I.,  by 
whom  Germany  was  humiliated  as  never  before.  The  whole 
country  was  subjected  to  systematic  plundering.  The  imperial 
crown  of  Germany  was  trodden  into  the  dust.  The  German 
states  were  torn  apart  and  given  by  Napoleon  as  presents  to 
his  favorites,  who  made  the  German  cities  resound  with  gay 
life,  at  the  burghers*  expense. 

Under  the  burden  of  all  these  sufferings  many  inhabitants 
of  Germany  despaired  of  a  future  in  their  native  country  and 
resolved  to  emigrate  to  America,  hoping  that  there  they  would 
enjoy  not  only  better  material  existence,  but  also  freedom  of 
worship.  The  report,  that  William  Penn  had  thrown  open  his 
grant  of  land,  Pennsylvania,  as  a  place  of  refuge  to  all  who 
suffered  persecution  on  account  of  their  religious  faith,  served 
as  a  special  inducement  for  many  Germans,  to  emigrate  to 
that  part  of  the  New  World. 


12 


Germans  Predecessors  of  the  Puritans, 


Long  before  the  Puritans,  glorified  in  our  Colonial  History, 
thought  of  emigrating  to  America,  Germans  had  already 
landed  in  several  parts  of  the  New  World.  At  the  very  time 
when  the  British  "Heroes  of  the  Sea,"  the  Hawkins,  Drake, 
Cavendish,  Morgan  and  others  were  engaged  in  abominable 
slave  trade  and  in  plundering  the  Spanish  Colonies,  numerous 
German  mechanics,  artisans,  traders  and  miners  busied  them- 
selves with  all  kinds  of  useful  work. 

As  early  as  1538,  Johann  Cromberger,  a  German,  estab- 
lished a  printing  office  in  the  City  of  Mexico,  and  issued 
numerous  books,  that  bear  the  notice  "Impresso  en  la  gran 
ciudad  de  Mexico  en  casa  de  Juan  Cromberger." 

From  the  Colonial  history  of  Venezuela  we  know,  that  the 
German  explorers,  who  came  to  that  country  in  1528  to 
1  546,  also  brought  a  printing  press  with  them.  Besides,  they 
took  with  them  fifty  miners,  to  explore  the  mountains  of 
Venezuela. 

Among  the  first  English  settlers,  who  came  with  Captain 
John  Smith  to  Virginia,  were  also  a  number  of  German 
craftsmen,  who  had  been  procured  by  the  British  Colonial 
Office,  at  Captain  Smith's  suggestion  "to  send  to  Germany 
and    Poland    for    laborers." 

German  traders  also  appeared  in  different  parts  of  North 
America.  Soon  after  Henry  Hudson  had  discovered  the 
noble  river  which  now  bears  his  name,  a  German,  Hendrick 
Christiansen  of  Kleve,  became  the  explorer  of  that  stream. 
Attracted  by  its  beauty  and  grandeur,  he  undertook  eleven 
expeditions  to  its  shores.  He  also  built  the  first  houses  on 
Manhattan  Island,  1613,  and  laid  the  foundations  of  the  trad- 
ing stations  New  Amsterdam  and  Fort  Nassau,  the  present 
cities  of  New  York  and  Albany.  In  what  light  Christiansen 
was  regarded  by  his  contemporaries,  may  be  learned  from 
a  passage  in  the  "Historisch  Verhael"  of  the  Dutch  chronicler 
Nicolas  Jean  de  Wassenaer,  who  wrote:  "New  Netherland 
was  first  explored  by  the  honorable  Hendrick  Christiansen  of 
Kleve Hudson,  the  famous  navigator,  was  also  there." 

A  few  years  after  this  enterprising  German  had  been 
killed  by  an  Indian,  another  German,  Peter  Minnewit  or 
Minuit,  became  Director-General  of  New  Netherland,  the 
colony  established  by  the  Dutch  at  the  mouth  of  the  Hudson 
River.      Minnewit   was   born   in   Wesel,    a   city   on   the   lower 

13 


Rhine.  Not  much  is  known  of  his  earlier  life,  but  it  is  stated, 
that  he  was  a  Protestant  and  for  some  time  held  the  position 
of   deacon  in   the  Reformed   Church. 

When,  during  the  Thirty  Years'  War,  the  countries  of  the 
Lower  Rhine  and  of  Westfalia,  Ditmarsen,  Friesland  and 
Holstein  were  being  ravaged  by  Spanish  soldiers,  Minnewit, 
like  many  other  Protestants  fled  to  Holland,  to  escape  certain 
death.  In  Amsterdam  Minnewit  entered  the  service  of  a 
trading  company,  for  which  he  made  several  trips  to  the 
East  Indies  and  South  America.  These  voyages  were  so 
successful,  that  the  leaders  of  the  "Dutch  West  India  Com- 
pany" selected  Minnewit  as  a  director-general  for  her  colony, 
New  Netherland.  They  entrusted  him  with  almost  absolute 
power.  Minnewit  arrived  in  New  Amsterdam  on  May  4, 
1626.  To  secure  title  for  the  colony,  one  of  his  first  acts 
was  the  closing  of  a  bargain  with  the  Manhattan  Indians,  by 
which,  in  exchange  for  such  trinkets  as  colored  cloth,  beads, 
kettles  and  small  looking  glasses  to  the  value  of  60  guilders, 
or  $24,  the  whole  of  Manhattan  Island,  containing  about 
22,000  acres,   became  the  property  of  the  Dutch. 


"f  fcrt  TVteuw   lAmjherlam,  of  cUManhatans 


NEW  AMSTERDAM  AT  THE   TIME   OF  PETER   MINNEWIT. 
(From   an   Old   Engraving.) 


By  dealing  fairly  with  the  Indians  Minnewit  won  their  good 
will.  From  them  New  Netherland  had  nothing  to  fear.  But 
the  colony  had  dangerous  neighbors,  the  English  in  Massa- 
chusetts, who  started  a  number  of  settlements  there  and  who 
claimed  the  whole  Atlantic  coast  as  far  south  as  the  40th 
degree.      To   protect   New    Netherland   against   an   attack   by 

15 


these  steadily  encroaching  neighbors,  Minnewit  erected  a  fort 
at  the  south   end  of  Manhattan  Island. 

Under  the  able  management  of  this  German,  the  trading 
station  developed  successfully.  While  in  1624  the  output  in 
furs  amounted  to  25,000  guilders,  the  export  increased  within 
a  few  years  to    1  30,000  guilders. 

Minnewit  remained  at  his  post  till  1631.  Soon  afterwards 
he  became  the  founder  and  first  director  of  New  Sweden,  a 
Swedish  colony  at  the  mouth  of  the  Delaware  River.  Unfor- 
tunately this  energetic  man  lost  his  life  in  the  West  Indies 
during  a  hurricane.  He  had  set  sail  with  two  vessels  to  open 
up  trade  relations  with  these  islands. 

His  successor  in  New  Sweden  was  a  German  nobleman, 
Johann  Printz  von  Buchau,  a  giant  in  body  and  energy. 
During  his  regime,  which  lasted  from  1643  to  1654,  the 
colony  New  Sweden  became  very  successful  and  thereby 
aroused  the  jealousy  of  the  Dutch,  who,  while  Buchau  was  on 
a  trip  to  Europe,  attacked  the  colony  and  annexed  it  to  New 
Netherland.  In  1 664  it  fell  a  prey  to  the  English  together 
with  all  of  New  Netherland.  As  is  well  known,  the  English 
now  named  the  colony  New  York,  in  honor  of  the  king's 
brother,   the  Duke  of  York. 

When  this  event  took  place,  the  colony  already  had 
among  her  citizens  numerous  Germans,  of  whom  several  held 
responsible  positions  in  the  Dutch  West  Indian  Trading 
Company.  There  were  also  German  physicians,  lawyers  and 
merchants.  One  of  the  latter,  Nicholaus  de  Meyer,  a  native 
of  Hamburg,  became  in   1676  burgomaster  of  New  York. 

To  the  most  prominent  men  of  that  period  belonged  also 
Augustin  Herrman.  a  surveyor,  who  made  the  first  reliable 
maps  of  the  colonies  of  Maryland  and  Virginia. 

The  unknown  interior  of  the  latter  colony  was  first  explored 
by  a  young  German  scholar,  Johann  Lederer.  who,  born  in 
Hamburg,  came  to  Jamestown  in  1  668.  Here  he  made  the 
acquaintance  of  Governor  Berkeley  of  Virginia,  who  sent  him 
to  explore  the  mountains  in  the  western  part  of  the  colony, 
in  the  hope  of  finding  a  passage  to  the  Indian  Ocean,  which 
was  believed  to  be  just  beyond  the  western  slopes  of  the 
Appalachian  Mountains.  During  the  years  1669  and  1670 
Lederer  made  three  expeditions  to  the  west  and  southwest. 
It  seems  that  he  traversed  not  only  Virginia,  but  also  a  part 
of  South  Carolina.  But  in  spite  of  the  most  heroic  efforts  it 
was  impossible  for  him  to  cross  the  many  parallel  ridges  of 
the  Appalachian  Mountains.  When  he  had  succeeded  in 
scaling  one,  he  saw  from  its  summit  in  the  distance  other  still 
higher  ones.  To  cross  them  was  impossible  because  of  insuf- 
ficient outfit  and  provisions. 

16 


Lederer's  itinerary,  written  in  Latin,  abounds  in  highly- 
interesting  descriptions  of  the  country  and  the  different  Indian 
tribes  he  encountered.  These  notes  were  translated  by  Gov- 
ernor Talbot  of  Maryland  into  English.  Printed  in  1672  in 
London,  they  constitute  one  of  the  most  valuable  documents 
in  the  history  of  the  exploration  of  our  North  American  con- 
tinent. 


Franz  Daniel  Pastorius  and  the 
Settlers  of  Germantown. 

What  Plymouth  Rock  is  to  Anglo-Americans,  Germantown 
is  to  Americans  of  German  descent:  a  spot  consecrated  by 
history,  a  spot  where  every  American  should  stand  with 
uncovered   head ! 

At  Plymouth  Rock  we  cherish  the  memory  of  the  Puritan 
Pilgrims;  in  Germantown  that  of  those  pious  Mennonites,  who, 
after  their  arrival  in  Philadelphia,  broke  ground  for  the  first 
permanent  German  settlement  in  North  America. 

There  is  no  chapter  in  our  colonial  history,  which  in  general 
interest  and  elevating  character  surpasses  the  story  of  that  little 
town,  which  to-day  is  one  of  the  suburbs  of  William  Penn's 
famous  "City  of  Brotherly  Love.''  Like  the  Puritans,  the 
Mennonites,  followers  of  the  reformer  Menno  Simon,  had 
been  subjected  to  so  many  restrictions  and  persecution,  that 
they  gladly  accepted  the  invitation  of  Penn,  to  settle  in  his 
American  domain.  The  first  group  of  Mennonites,  that 
crossed  the  ocean,  came  from  Crefeld,  a  city  of  the  lower 
Rhine.  Numbering  33  persons,  they  landed,  after  a  voyage 
of  73  days  in  the  good  ship  "Concord,"  in  Philadelphia 
October  6,  1683.  They  were  received  by  William  Penn 
and  Franz  Daniel  Pastorius,  a  young  lawyer  from  Frankfort 
on  the  Main,  who  had  hurried  to  America  in  advance  of  the 
Mennonites,   in  order  to  prepare  everything  for  their  arrival. 

The  first  problem  was  to  select  a  suitable  location  for  the 
future  town  of  the  Mennonites.  After  due  search  they  decided 
upon  a  tract  near  the  Schuylkill  River,  two  hours  above  Phila- 
delphia.     Here   they  broke  ground   on   October   24. 

For  the  first  year  the  life  of  the  settlers  was  but  one  con- 
tinuous struggle  against  the  vast  wilderness,  whose  depths 
no  white  man  had  ever  penetrated.  Trees  of  enormous  size, 
hundreds  of  years  old,  and  almost  impenetrable  brushwood 
had  to  be  removed  to  win  a  clearing  for  the  little  houses. 
The  trials  of  the  settlers,  who  by  occupation  were  weavers  and 
not  accustomed  to  hard  work,  were  often  so  great,  that  it 
took  the  combined  persuasion  of  Pastorius  and  Penn,  to 
encourage  the  Mennonites  to  persist  in  the  bitter  fight  against 
the  cruel  wilderness.  But  when  at  last  the  work  was  done, 
Germantown  was  well  worth  looking  at.  A  street  60  feet 
wide    and    planted    with   peach-trees    on    both    sides,    divided 

18 


the  village  in  two  parts.  Every  house  was  surrounded  by  a 
three-acre  garden,  in  whose  virgin  soil  flowers  and  vegetables 
grew  in  such  abundance,  that  the  settlers  raised  not  only 
enough  for  their  own  use,  but  were  also  able  to  provide  the 
market   of  Philadelphia. 

Special  care  was  given  to  the  cultivation  of  flax  and  grape- 
vine. The  flax  was  of  importance,  as  the  Mennonites  con- 
tinued in  their  profession  as  weavers  with  such  success,  that 
the  linen  and  other  woven  goods  from  Germantown  became 
famous  for  quality.  As  the  inhabitants  of  Germantown  came 
from  the  Rhine,  their  hearts  were  open  to  blissful  enjoyment 
of  life,  and  wine  was  appreciated  as  the  means  to  drive  away 
all  grief  and  sorrow.  Before  long  the  windows  and  entrances 
of  the  houses  were  surrounded  by  heavy  grapevines. 

Certainly  it  was  a  happy  idea,  when  Pastorius,  in  designing 
an  official  seal  for  the  town,  selected  the  clover,  the  leaves 
of  which  were  to  represent  the  grape-vine,  the  flax  blossom 
and  the  weavers'  shuttle.  These  were  surrounded  by  the  Latin 
motto:  "Vinum,  Linum  et  Textrinum"  (Vine,  Linen  and 
Weaving).  With  this  he  indicated,  that  culture  of  the  grapes, 
flax-growing  and  the  textile  industries  were  the  principal  occu- 
pations in  Germantown.  At  the  same  time  it  indicated  the 
mission  of  the  Germans  in  America,  to  promote  agriculture, 
manufacture  and  enjoyment  of  life. 

Happy  hours  these  German  Pilgrims  must  have  had  in 
Germantown,  when  at  eventide,  after  the  days  work  had 
been  done,  they  sat  on  the  benches  by  the  doors,  listening 
to  the  cooing  of  the  doves,  and  enjoying  the  fragrant  odor 
of  the  manifold  flowers,  the  seeds  of  which  they  had  brought 
with   them   from   their  native  home. 

While  attending  to  their  daily  work,  the  inhabitants  of  Ger- 
mantown did  not  neglect  their  intellectual  life.  Pastorius, 
this  true  shepherd  of  his  flock,  was  its  center.  He  established 
a  school  and  arranged  also  an  evening  class,  in  which  he 
imparted  freely  of  his  great  wisdom  to  all  who  were  eager 
to   enrich   their   knowledge. 

When  Germantown  was  incorporated  as  a  town,  Pastorius 
was  of  course  elected  its  first  burgomaster.  How  deeply 
rooted  in  his  heart  was  the  love  of  his  old  Fatherland  and 
his  countrymen,  is  indicated  by  a  "Greeting  to  Posterity,'' 
which  he  wrote  on  the  first  page  of  the  "Grund-  und  Lager- 
buch,"  the  first  official  document  of  Germantown.  Translated 
from  the  Latin  it  reads  as  follows:  "Hail  Posterity!  Hail  to 
you,  future  generations  in  Germanopolis!  May  you  never 
forget  that  your  ancestors,  of  their  own  free  will,  left  the 
beloved  land,  which  bore  and  nourished  them  —  ah!  for  those 
hearths  and  homes!  —  to  live  the  rest  of  their  days  in  the 
forests  of  Pennsylvania,  in  the  lonely  wilderness,  with  less 
care    and    anxiety,    but    still    after    the    German    fashion,    like 

19 


brothers.  May  you  also  learn,  how  arduous  a  task  it  was, 
after  crossing  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  to  plant  the  German  race 
in  this  part  of  North  America.  And,  dear  descendants,  where 
we  have  set  an  example  of  righteousness,  follow  our  footsteps! 
But  where  we  have  turned  from  the  straight  and  narrow  path, 
forgive  us!  May  the  perils  which  we  encountered,  make  you 
wise!  Farewell,  Posterity!  Farewell,  my  German  Kin!  Farewell, 
forever  and  ever!" 

Undoubtedly  Pastorius  was  also  the  author  of  a  document, 
by  which  the  inhabitant  of  Germantown  set  an  everlasting 
monument   to   themselves. 

The  importation  of  negro  slaves  from  Africa  to  America 
had  been  practised  by  the  English  and  Dutch  since  the  1  6th 
century.  Slaves  were  sold  to  the  English  colonies  without 
disapproval  of  the  Puritans  and  Quakers,  who  claimed  to  be 
defenders  of  human  rights.  The  Germans,  however,  who 
had  suffered  so  much  in  their  own  fatherland,  regarded  in 
just  appreciation  of  the  personal  rights  of  others  the  traffic 
in  human  flesh  as  a  heavy  crime  against  the  teachings  of 
Christ.  For  this  reason  they  drew  up  on  February  1  8,  1  688, 
a  protest  against  slavery,  the  first  ever  written  in  any 
language.      This  remarkable  document  reads  as  follows: 

"This  is  to  ye  Monthly  Meeting  held  at  Richard  Warrel's. 
These  are  the  reasons  why  we  are  against  the  traffick  of  men 
Body,  as  followeth:  Is  there  any  that  would  be  done  or 
handled  at  this  manner?  to  be  sold  or  made  a  slave  for  all 
the  time  of  his  life?  How  fearfull  and  fainthearted  are  many 
on  sea  when  they  see  a  strange  vessel,  being  afraid  it  should 
be  a  Turk,  and  they  should  be  taken  and  sold  for  slaves  into 
Turckey.  Now  what  is  this  better  done  as  Turcks  doe?  Yea 
rather  is  it  worse  for  them,  which  say  they  are  Christians;  for 
we  hear  that  ye  most  part  of  such  Negers  are  brought  hither 
against  their  will  and  consent;  and  that  many  of  them  are 
stollen.  Now,  tho'  they  are  black,  we  cannot  conceive  there 
is  more  liberty  to  have  them  slaves,  as  it  is  to  have  other 
white  ones.  There  is  a  saying,  that  we  shall  doe  to  all  men, 
like  as  we  will  be  done  our  selves;  making  no  difference  of 
what  generation,  descent  or  colour  they  are.  And  those  who 
steal  or  robb  men,  and  those  who  buy  or  purchase  them,  are 
they  not  all  alike?  Here  is  liberty  of  conscience,  which  is 
right  and  reasonable;  here  ought  to  be  likewise  liberty  of  ye 
body,  except  of  evildoers,  which  is  another  case.  But  to 
bring  men  hither,  or  to  robb  and  sell  them  against  their  will, 
we  stand  against.  In  Europe  there  are  many  oppressed  for 
conscience  sake;  and  here  there  are  those  oppressed  which 
are  of  a  black  colour.  And  we,  who  know  that  men  must 
not  commit  adultery,  some  doe  commit  adultery  in  others, 
separating  wifes  from  their  husbands  and  giving  them  to 
others;  and  some  sell  the  children  of  those  poor  creatures  to 

20 


other  men.  Oh!  doe  consider  well  this  things,  you  who  doe 
it;  if  you  would  be  done  at  this  manner?  and  if  it  is  done 
according  to  Christianity?  You  surpass  Holland  and  Germany 
in  this  thing.  This  makes  an  ill  report  in  all  those  countries  of 
Europe,  where  they  hear  off,  that  ye  Quackers  doe  here  handel 
men  like  they  handel  there  ye  cattel.  And  for  that  reason 
some  have  no  mind  or  inclination  to  come  hither,  and  who 
shall  maintaine  this  your  cause  or  plaid  for  it?  Truly  we  can 
not  do  so,  except  you  shall  inform  us  better  hereoff,  that 
Christians  have  liberty  to  practise  this  things.  Pray!  What 
thing  on  the  world  can  be  done  worse  towards  us,  then  if 
men  should  robb  or  steal  us  away,  and  sell  us  for  slaves  to 
strange  countries,  separating  housbands  from  their  wifes  and 
children.  Being  now  this  is  not  done  at  that  manner,  we  will 
be  done  at,  therefore  we  contradict  and  are  against  this 
tramck  of  menbody.  And  we  who  profess  that  it  is  not  lawful 
to  steal,  must  likewise  avoid  to  purchase  such  things  as  are 
stollen  but  rather  help  to  stop  this  robbing  and  stealing  if 
possible;  and  such  men  ought  to  be  delivered  out  of  ye  hands 
of  ye  Robbers  and  sett  free  as  well  as  in  Europe.  Then  is 
Pennsylvania  to  have  a  good  report,  instead  it  hath  now  a 
bad  one  for  this  sacke  in  other  countries.  Especially  whereas 
ye  Europeans  are  desirous  to  know  in  what  manner  ye 
Quackers  doe  rule  in  their  Province;  and  most  of  them  doe 
look  upon  us  with  an  envious  eye.  But  if  this  is  done  well, 
what  shall  we  say  is   done  evill? 

If  once  these  slaves  (which  they  say  are  so  wicked  and 
stubborn  men)  should  joint  themselves,  fight  for  their  freedom 
and  handel  their  masters  and  mastrisses  as  they  did  handel 
them  before,  will  these  masters  and  mastrisses  tacke  the  sword 
at  hand  and  warr  against  these  poor  slaves,  like  we  are  able 
to  believe,  some  will  not  refuse  to  doe?  Or  have  these  Negers 
not  as  much  right  to  fight  for  their  freedom,  as  you  have  to 
keep  them  slaves? 

Now  consider  well  this  thing,  if  it  is  good  or  bad?  and  in 
case  you  find  it  to  be  good  to  handel  these  blacks  at  that  man- 
ner, we  desire  and  require  you  hereby  lovingly,  that  you  may 
inform  us  here  in,  which  at  this  time  never  was  done,  that 
Christians  have  such  a  liberty  to  do  so,  to  the  end  we  shall 
be  satisfied  in  this  point,  and  satisfie  lickewise  our  good  friends 
and  acquaintances  in  our  natif  country,  to  whom  it  is  a  terrour 
or  fairfull  thing  that  men  should  be  handeld  so  in  Pennsilvania. 
This  is  from  our  Meeting  at  Germantown  held  ye  1  8.  of  the 
2.  month  1688.  to  be  delivered  to  the  monthly  meeting  at 
Richard  Warrel's. 

gerret   hendericks 
derick   op    de   graeff 
Francis    Daniell   Pastorius 
Abraham    op    Den    graeff.'* 

21 


This  protest  was  submitted  at  several  meetings  of  the 
Quakers,  who,  however,  found  the  question  too  important  to 
take  action  upon,  since  this  question  stood  in  intimate  relation 
with  other  affairs.  The  document,  set  up  by  the  humble 
inhabitants  of  Germantown,  however,  compelled  the  Quakers 
to  think.  Becoming  aware  that  the  traffic  in  human  beings 
did  not  harmonize  with  Christian  religion,  they  introduced  in 
1711  "an  act  to  prevent  the  importation  of  Negroes  and 
Indians  into  the  province,"  and  later  on  they  declared  against 
slave  trade.  But  as  the  Government  found  such  laws  inad- 
missible, the  question  dragged  along,  until  150  years  later 
this  black  spot  on  the  escutcheon  of  the  United  States  was 
eradicated. 

Pastorius,  the  noble  leader  of  Germantown,  departed  this 
life  about  Christmas  of  1719,  much  deplored  by  his  many 
friends,  who,  like  William  Penn,  respected  him  as  "an  upright 
and  courageous,  moderate  and  wise  man,  a  shining  example 
to  his  countrymen." 


AN    OLD    GERMAN    PRINTING   PRESS. 
(In  the  Museum  of  the  Historical  Society  of  Pennsylvania.) 


A  few  years  after  Pastorius'  death  another  remarkable 
person  made  Germantown  his  home:  Christoph  Saur,  a 
native  of  Westphalia.  Being  a  printer,  he  published  here  in 
1  739  the  first  newspaper  in  German  type,  and  also  in  1  743 
the  first  German  Bible  in  America.  This  antedated,  by  forty 
years,  the  printing  of  any  other  Bible  in  America,  in  an- 
other European  language.  Besides  Saur  published  numerous 
other  volumes,  among  them  many  textbooks  for  schools.  To 
him  is  due  also  the  founding  of  the  Germantown  Academy, 
which  still   exists. 

22 


Germantown  deserves  credit  also  as  the  place,  where  Wil- 
helm  Rittenhaus  established  in  1690  the  first  paper  mill  in 
America.  So  the  name  of  Germantown  is  connected  with 
many  events  of  great  importance  in  American  history.  No 
one  who  intends  to  give  a  true  idea  of  the  origin  and  develop- 
ment of  American  culture,  can  omit  to  mention  Germantown 
and  its  founders. 

The  great  success  of  the  Mennonites  inspired  many  other 
German  sectarians  to  follow  their  example  and  emigrate  to 
the  Western  hemisphere.  Among  them  were  the  Tunkers  or 
Dunkards,  whose  cloister  Ephrata  in  Pennsylvania  became 
famous  as  a  seat  of  learning.  It  had  its  own  printing  press, 
paper  mill  and  book  bindery,  and  published  in  1  749  the 
"Martyrer  Spiegel,"  a  folio  volume  of  1514  pages,  the  great- 
est literary  undertaking  of  the  American  colonies. 

Furthermore,  there  were  the  Herrnhuter  or  Moravians,  the 
founders  of  Bethlehem,  Nazareth  and  other  settlements  in 
Pennsylvania  and  Ohio.  Many  of  these  Moravians  devoted 
themselves  to  missionary  work  among  the  Indians.  Some  of 
these  devout  emissaries,  for  instance  Christian  Friedrich 
Post,  Johann  Heckewelder  and  David  Zeisberger  per- 
formed most  valuable  work  among  the  Delawares,  Mohicans 
and  other  tribes. 

The  Salzburgers,  driven  from  their  homes  in  the  Alps  in 
1731,  established  in  Georgia  a  flourishing  colony,  named 
Ebenezer.  Other  German  sectarians  founded  Zoar  and  Har- 
mony in  Ohio,  Economy  in  Pennsylvania,  Bethel  and  Aurora 
in  Missouri,  Amana  in  Iowa,  and  other  colonies,  many  of 
which  created  world-wide  attention  because  of  their  success- 
ful application  of  communistic  ideas. 


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The  Coming  of  the  Palatines, 


Of  all  the  German  states  which  suffered  from  the  terrors 
of  the  Thirty  Years'  War  and  the  raids  of  the  French,  the 
Palatinate  fared  worst.  During  the  first  catastrophe  one 
hundred  and  forty-seven  towns  and  villages  were  wiped  out 
of  existence,  so  that  nothing  remained  but  their  almost  for- 
gotten names.  Everything  which  escaped  the  ravages  of  that 
dreadful  war,  was  destroyed  by  the  soldiers  of  the  "most 
Christian  King''  Louis  XIV.  of  France.  In  utter  despair,  the 
few  thousand  survivors  of  the  carnage  and  plundering  resolved 
to  give  up  their  homes  and  emigrate  to  any  country,  where 
they  would  be  free  from  the  terrors  of  war. 

The  first  Palatines  to  emigrate  were  55  Lutherans.  Under 
the  leadership  of  their  minister,  Josua  von  Kocherthal,  they 
arrived  in  New  York  in  the  winter  of  1  708.  Upon  the  western 
shore  of  the  Hudson  they  established  a  settlement,  which  they 
called  Neuburg,  from  which  the  present  city  of  Newburgh 
takes  its  name.  — 

In  the  following  year  the  Rhine  became  the  scene  of  an 
extraordinary  event.  Vast  fleets  of  boats  and  rafts  glided 
down  the  river,  all  crowded  with  unhappy  people,  who 
carried  their  few  belongings  with  them  in  bundles  and  boxes. 

How  many  thousand  persons  there  were,  is  not  exactly 
known.  Estimates  vary  from  15,000  to  30,000.  The  fugi- 
tives went  to  Holland  and  from  there  to  London,  to  beg  the 
British  government  for  transportation  to  America.  Several 
thousand  were  sent  to  Ireland;  several  hundred  to  Virginia, 
Carolina  and  New  England,  and  more  than  3,000  to  New 
York.      The  latter  embarked  in  ten  vessels  in  January,    1710. 

The  voyage  across  the  ocean  took  several  months;  the  last 
boat  did  not  arrive  in  New  York  before  July.  Accommo- 
dations and  food  on  the  vessels  were  so  poor  that  470  of 
the  emigrants  perished  during  the  trip;  250  more  died  on 
Governor's  Island,  where  the  Palatines  were  kept  in  quaran- 
tine for  many  weeks  without  any  apparent  reason. 

Furthermore,  the  government,  instead  of  granting  the 
Palatines  the  same  privileges  that  other  emigrants  received, 
treated  them  as  serfs,  who  ought  to  make  good  by  their  labor 
for  everything  the  government  had  done  for  them.  So  the 
Palatines  were  settled  along  the  shores  of  the  Hudson,  where 
we   now  find   Germantown  and  Saugerties.      Here  they  were 

25 


forced  to  raise  hemp  for  cordage,  and  to  manufacture  tar 
and  pitch,  so  that  the  government  would  no  longer  be  obliged 
to  buy  these  much-needed  objects  for  ship-building  from 
other   countries. 

Unfortunately,  the  contract  for  supplying  the  Palatines 
with  all  necessities  of  life  was  given  to  Robert  Livingston,  a 
perfect  type  of  those  disreputable  men,  who  came  to  America 
only  to  get  rich  quickly.  In  Albany  he  had  been  made  Town 
Clerk  and  Secretary  for  Indian  Affairs.  Later  on  to  these 
offices  were  added  those  of  Collector  of  Excise  and  Quit 
Rents,  Clerk  of  Peace  and  Clerk  of  the  Court  of  Common 
Pleas.  A  born  grafter,  he  associated  himself  secretly  with 
the  famous  pirate  Captain  Kidd,  and  thereby  added  greatly 
to  his  fortune. 

When  in  1  701  he  could  not  account  for  large  sums,  said  to 
have  passed  through  his  hands,  he  was  deprived  of  his  offices 
and  his  estates  were  confiscated.  However,  upon  going  to 
London  he  obtained  from  the  Queen  a  restoration  of  his 
offices,  returned  to  New  York  in  1  709,  became,  through 
bribery,  a  member  of  Assembly  and  secured  a  repeal  of  the 
act  confiscating  his  estates. 

Such  was  the  history  of  the  gentleman,  into  whose  care  the 
unfortunate  Palatines  were  given.  Naturally,  they  fared  badly. 
While  they  almost  starved  to  death,  the  bills,  handed  by 
Livingston  to  the  government,  ran  to  enormous  sums.  From 
November  10,  1710,  to  September,  1712,  they  amounted 
to    76,000  pounds  sterling! 

During  the  severe  winter  of  1712-13  the  distress  of  the 
Palatines  became  unbearable.  They  had  neither  food  nor 
clothing.  Suffering  from  hunger  and  cold,  their  clamor 
became  so  heartrending  that  the  Indians,  who  dwelt  in  the 
neighborhood,  came  to  their  assistance,  and  presented  them 
with  a  stretch  of  land  in  the  valley  of  the  Schoharie  River, 
whereto   the  Palatines  might  emigrate. 

Seeing  no  other  course  before  them,  the  Palatines  resolved 
to  escape  to  this  place.  They  started  in  March,  1713.  As  no 
roads  existed  and  deep  snow  covered  the  ground,  the  trip 
was  exhausting.  The  fugitives  had  neither  wagons  nor  animals 
for  the  transportation  of  the  sick,  the  aged,  the  women  and 
children.  All  belongings  had  to  be  carried  upon  their  backs. 
And,  of  course,  there  was  nothing  to  eat.  If  the  Indians  had 
not  helped,   the  Palatines  would  certainly  have  perished. 

Hardly  ever  were  settlements  started  under  greater  diffi- 
culties than  these  in  the  Schoharie  Valley.  Rough  logs  fur- 
nished the  material  for  the  huts.  Clothes  were  made  from 
the  skins  of  wild  animals.  As  no  one  possessed  a  plough,  the 
settlers  were  obliged  to  dig  furrows  into  the  ground  with 
their  knives.  They  then  sowed  the  only  bushel  of  wheat  they 
had  bought  in  Schenectady  with  their  last  money.      As  they 

26 


had   no   mill,    the   first  harvest  was   crushed   between   stones. 

After  toiling  for  several  years,  the  Palatines,  never  giving 
up  hope,  began  to  look  for  a  better  future,  when  suddenly 
came  the  news,  that  the  governor  had  ceded  their  land  to 
some  speculators,  among  them  Livingston,  with  whom  the 
Palatines  must  come  to  an  agreement.  That  the  land  had 
been  given  to  the  Palatines  by  the  Indians,  and  that  by  the 
right  of  first  settlement  they  had  an  indisputable  claim,  the 
governor  would  not  acknowledge.  Furious  about  their  escape, 
he  molested  the  Palatines  so  persistently  that  the  majority 
decided  to  move  again.  Several  hundred  quitted  the  in- 
hospitable colony  of  New  York  forever,  and  went  to  Penn- 
sylvania. Others  moved  to  the  valley  of  the  Mohawk  River, 
occupying  a  strip  of  land  which  was  donated  to  them  by  the 
Mohawk   Indians. 

The  first  settlement  there  became  known  as  the  German 
Flats.  But  in  the  course  of  time  the  Palatines  founded  many 
other  villages  and  towns,  some  of  which  betray  their  German 
origin  by  their  names,  as  Mannheim,  Oppenheim,  Frankfort, 
Palatine,  Herkimer,  Palatine  Bridge,  New  Paltz  Landing 
and  Palatine  Church.  — 

The  Palatines  who  had  been  brought  to  Carolina,  Virginia 
and  New  England  also  founded  numerous  villages  and  towns, 
whose  original  German  names,  however,  became  so  distorted 
later,  that  to-day  they  can  hardly  be  recognized.  — 

Through  a  strange  irony  of  fate  the  Palatines,  who  had 
emigrated  from  Germany  to  escape  the  brutalities  of  the 
French,  were  compelled  to  again  face  the  same  enemies  in 
America.  It  was  during  the  years  1  754  to  1  763,  when  the 
French,  assisted  by  their  Indian  allies,  the  Ottawas,  Hurons, 
Miamis,  Shawnees  and  Illinois,  made  frequent  raids  from 
Canada  and  the  Ohio  Valley  on  the  settlements  of  the 
Palatines,  who  in  fact  had  been  placed  by  the  government 
as  outposts  on  the  frontier  against  the  French  and  Indians. 

In  assisting  the  Germans  in  the  defense  of  the  frontier  the 
government  was  always  so  tardy  that  the  Germans  often 
resorted  to  drastic  demonstrations  to  compel  the  authorities 
to  do  their  duty.  In  November,  1755,  when  the  Palatine 
settlements  in  Pennsylvania  had  been  raided,  several  hundred 
Germans  marched  to  Philadelphia,  to  demand  measures  of 
defense.  They  brought  with  them  a  number  of  bodies  of 
friends  murdered,  mutilated  and  scalped,  and  displayed  them 
at  the  doors  of  the  assembly  hall.  This  gruesome  exhibition 
created  great  sensation,  yet  the  government  did  not  call  the 
militia  before  spring  of  the  next  year  for  the  protection  of 
the  suffering  settlements.  Many  members  of  this  militia  were 
Palatines.  They  were  also  largely  represented  among  the 
"Royal  Americans,"  a  regiment  of  4000  Germans  of  Penn- 
sylvania  and    Maryland,   which  under   the   able  command   of 

27 


Henry  Bouquet,  a  native  of  Switzerland,  in  the  wars  against 
the  French  and  Indians  won  a  glorious  record. 

Out  of  the  ranks  of  the  Palatine  colonists  came  many 
vigorous  men,  who  gained  renown  in  American  history.  As 
for  instance  Konrad  Weiser,  Peter  Zenger,  and  Nicholas 
Herchheimer,  who,  like  all  their  countrymen,  served  this 
country  devotedly  in  timeq  of  peace,  and  gladly  gave  their 
lives  for  it  in  times  of  war. 

Their  descendants,  reinforced  by  large  numbers  of  Palatines, 
who  arrived  during  the  1 8th  and  1 9th  centuries,  number  at 
present  many  hundred  thousands,  a  valuable  army  of  diligent, 
industrious  and  contented  people.  Where  energy  and  per- 
sistence are  needed,  where  experience,  mechanical  or  artistic 
abilities  are  required,  the  Palatines  take  no  second  place.  We 
find  them  engaged  in  all  trades,  in  the  fields,  the  orchards 
and  vineyards,  and  always  devoted  to  the  place  which  gives 
them  support.  None  of  their  beautiful  farms  in  the  Schoharie 
and  Mohawk  valleys,  or  in  Pennsylvania,  ever  had  to  be 
abandoned  because  of  exhausted  soil,  as  was  the  case  with 
so  many  thousands  of  Yankee-farms  in  the  New  England 
States.  Like  all  other  German  immigrants  that  settled  in 
America,  the  Palatines  took  great  care  to  uphold  and  increase 
the  fruitfulness  of  their  farms,  and  the  good  name  and  credit 
of  their  business,  in  order  that  they  might  pass  them  on  to 
their  children  and  grandchildren  as  valuable  inheritances. 

Besides  their  diligence  and  industriousness,  the  Palatines 
in  America  have  also  preserved  their  genuine  Rhenish  cheer- 
fulness, their  love  for  poetry,  music  and  song.  Some  of  their 
poets  rank  among  the  best  our  country  has  produced.  Their 
singing-societies  are  of  the  first  order,  while  their  festivals 
are  brimful  of  harmless  fun  and  rejoicing. 

What  virtues  they  brought  with  them  from  the  Fatherland 
they  have  preserved  and  transmitted  with  great  success  and 
to  their  own  honor  from  generation  to  generation.  And  so 
the  Palatines  will  live  in  the  history  of  America;  and  future 
generations  will  celebrate  the  great  influx  of  the  Palatines  in 
1710  as  an  event  which  became  a  blessing  to  this  nation. 


The  Life  of  the  German  Settlers  in 
Colonial  Times. 


To  take  a  glimpse  at  the  life  of  the  early  pioneers  in 
America  is  certainly  interesting.  It  will  be  remembered  that 
the  British  government  purposely  placed  many  of  these  Ger- 
mans at  the  most  exposed  parts  of  the  "frontier,"  where  their 
settlements  would  serve  as  outposts  and  as  protection  against 
the  French  and  their  Indian  allies.  In  this  way  the  Germans 
in  the  valleys  of  the  Mohawk,  of  the  Susquehanna,  Shenan- 
doah and  Wyoming  and  at  the  Blue  Mountains  formed  the 
vangard    of   civilization. 

For  their  own  safety's  sake  these  settlers  were  compelled 
to  place  their  log  houses  close  together,  so  that  in  case  of 
danger  they  could  be  better  protected.  The  intervals  between 
the  houses  were  closed  with  palisades,  ten  or  twelve  feet 
high.  Sometimes  these  rude  fortresses  were  surrounded  by 
deep  ditches.  In  the  center  of  the  village  stood  a  very  strong 
blockhouse,  which  served  as  a  place  of  refuge  in  case  of 
extreme  danger.  It  had  mostly  two  or  three  stories,  the  upper 
projecting  over  the  lower.  The  heavy  walls  were  pierced  by 
numerous  loop-holes.  In  greatly  exposed  villages  there  were 
three  or  four  such  strongholds  at  the  corners  of  the  village,  so 
that  the  gunfire  of  the  defenders  could  sweep  in  every  direc- 
tion. 

The  ever  present  danger  compelled  the  settlers  to  keep 
constant  guard.  Every  man  was  obliged  to  perform  sentinel 
duty  at  times.  As  soon  as  the  scouts  noticed  any  danger  they 
gave  signals,  the  meaning  of  which  was  understood  by  all. 
In  case  of  siege,  all  men  and  boys  had  to  hurry  to  their 
respective  posts  at  the  stockade.  The  women  assisted  in  load- 
ing guns,  in  casting  bullets,  in  providing  the  men  with  food 
and  water,  in  taking  care  of  the  wounded,  besides  looking 
after   the  children   and  cattle. 

As  the  very  existence  of  the  whole  settlement  depended 
upon  preparedness,  it  was  every  man's  duty  to  keep  his  arms 
and  ammunition  in  perfect  condition  and  ready  to  be  used 
at  a  moment's  notice.  Skill  in  the  use  of  weapons  was  highly 
valued  and  encouraged.  Even  small  boys  were  allowed  to 
carry  guns  and  hunting-knives.  Bows  and  arrows  and  toma- 
hawks they  handled  with  an  Indian's  dexterity.    Racing,  jump- 

29 


3  n 

s  "-3 
<  M 


ing,  swimming,  climbing,  wrestling  and  all  other  physical  exer- 
cises, the  knowledge  of  which  could  be  helpful  in  the  hard 
struggle  for  existence,  were  encouraged.  Challenges  for 
shooting  and  fighting-matches  were  frequently  exchanged 
between  neighboring  settlements,  and  when  these  contests  were 
fought  out,   enthusiastic  spectators  were  never  wanting. 

As  the  population  of  Germany  during  the  1  7th  and  1  8th 
centuries  supported  itself  mainly  by  agriculture,  naturally  the 
majority  of  German  emigrants  consisted  of  farmers.  Of  their 
splendid  qualities  the  accounts  of  many  travellers  and  states- 
men bear  testimony.  When  the  famous  French  botanist  Andre 
Michaux  visited  North  America,  he  was  surprised  at  the  fine 
condition  of  the  German  farms.  In  mentioning  them  he  says: 
"The  superior  culture  of  the  fields  and  the  better  condition 
of  the  fences  indicate  that  here  are  settlements  of  Germans. 
Everything  breathes  comfort  and  well-being,  the  reward  of 
diligence  and  intelligent  work.  These  Germans  live  under 
much  better  conditions  than  the  American  descendants  of  the 
English,  Scotch  and  Irish ;  they  are  not  so  much  given  to  strong 
drink  and  have  not  that  restless  spirit,  which  frequently 
induces  settlers  of  other  nationality  to  move,  for  the  most 
trifling  reasons,  to  distances  of  perhaps  hundreds  of  miles  in 
search  of  more  fertile  land." 

In  still  more  enthusiastic  terms  Dr.  Benjamin  Rush,  Surgeon 
general  at  the  time  of  the  Revolution,  spoke  after  passing 
through  all  the  colonies.      In   1  789  he  published  "An  Account 


THE    FIRST   HOME. 


of  the  Manners  of  the  German  Inhabitants  of  Pennsylvania." 
In  this  classic  little  essay  Rush,  who  has  justly  been  called 
the  Tacitus  of  the  German-Americans,  enumerates  the  partic- 
ulars, in  which  the  German  farmers  differed  from  most  of  the 
others.      "In  settling  a  tract  of  land  they  always  provide  large 

31 


and  suitable  accommodations  for  their  horses  and  cattle, 
before  they  lay  out  much  money  in  building  a  house  for  them- 
selves. The  first  house  is  small  and  built  of  logs.  It  generally 
lasts  through  the  lifetime  of  the  first  settler  and  hence,  they 
have  a  saying,  that  a  son  should  always  begin  his  improve- 
ments, where  his  father  left  off." 

"They  always  prefer  good  land,  or  that  land  on  which 
there  are  great  meadows.  By  giving  attention  to  the  cultiva- 
tion of  grass,  they  often  in  a  few  years  double  the  value  of 
an  old  farm,  and  grow  rich  on  farms,  on  which  their  pre- 
decessors, of  whom  they  purchased  them,  had  nearly  starved." 

"In  clearing  new  land  they  do  not  simply  girdle  or  belt  the 
trees,  and  leave  them  to  perish  in  the  ground,  as  is  the  custom 
of  their  English  or  Irish  neighbors;  they  generally  cut  them 
down  and  burn  them.  Underbrush  and  bushes  they  pull  out 
by  the  roots.  The  advantage  is  that  the  land  is  fit  for  culti- 
vation  the   second   year." 

"They  feed  their  horses  and  cows  well,  thereby  practicing 
economy,  for  such  animals  perform  twice  the  labor  or  yield 
twice  the  amount  of  the  less  well  fed.  A  German  horse  is 
known  in   every  part   of  the  state." 

"The  German  farmers  are  also  great  wood-economists. 
They  do  not  waste  it  in  large  fire-places,  but  burn  it  in  stoves, 
using  about  one-fourth  to  one-fifth  as  much.  Their  houses 
are  made  very  comfortable  by  these  stoves,  around  which 
the  family  can  get  a  more  equal  chance  than  when  burning 
faces   and    freezing   their   backs  before   open   fire-places." 

"The  Germans  live  frugally  in  regard  to  diet,  furniture  and 
dress.  They  eat  sparingly  of  boiled  meat,  but  use  large  quan- 
tities of  all  kinds  of  vegetables.  They  use  few  distilled  spirits 
(whiskey  and  rum),  preferring  cider,  beer,  wine,  and  simple 
water.  In  their  homespun  garments  they  are  likewise  econom- 
ical. When  they  use  European  articles  of  dress,  they  prefer 
those  of  best  quality  and  highest  price.  They  are  afraid  to 
get  into  debt,  and  seldom  purchase  anything  without  paying 
cash   for   it." 

"Kitchen  gardening  the  Germans  introduced  altogether. 
Their  gardens  contain  useful  vegetables  at  every  season  of 
the  year.  Pennsylvania  is  indebted  to  the  Germans  for  the 
principal  part  of  her  knowledge  of  horticulture.  The  work 
of  the  gardens  is  generally  done  by  the  women  of  the 
family.  Hired  help  is  procured  only  in  harvest  time.  The 
favorable  influence  of  agriculture,  as  conducted  by  the  Ger- 
mans, in  extending  the  most  happiness,  is  manifested  by  the 
joy  expressed  at  the  birth  of  a  child.  No  dread  of  poverty 
or  distrust  of  Providence  from  an  increasing  family  depress 
the  spirits  of  this  industrious  and  frugal  people." 

"In  their  children  they  produce  not  only  the  habits  of  labor 
but  a  love   of  it." 

32 


"When  a  young  man  asks  the  consent  of  his  father  to  marry 
the  girl  of  his  choice  he  does  not  inquire  so  much  whether 
she  be  rich  or  poor,  or  whether  she  possess  any  personal  or 
mental  accomplishments,  but  whether  she  be  industrious,  and 
acquainted  with  the  duties  of  a  good  housewife." 

Ennumerating  other  good  qualities  of  the  Germans,  Rush 
says:  "They  are  no  strangers  to  the  virtue  of  hospitality.  The 
hungry  or  benighted  traveller  is  always  sure  to  find  a  hearty 
welcome  under  their  roofs.  They  are  extremely  kind  and 
friendly  as  neighbors." 

As  stated  in  former  chapters,  there  were  also  among  the 
German  immigrants  many  mechanics,  who  found  everywhere 
remunerative  work  for  their  skill  and  reliability.  The  condi- 
tions, prevailing  in  the  colonies,  were  very  favorable,  as  the 
practice  of  the  different  professions  was  not,  as  in  Europe, 
restricted  by  the  rules  of  guilds.  Such  corporations  had  not 
yet  been  started.  In  fact,  they  were  impossible,  as  in  the 
thinly  settled  and  very  extensive  colonies  all  had  to  rely  upon 
their  own  abilities.  As  in  the  solitude  of  the  wilderness  the 
farmer  had  of  necessity  to  be  a  "Jack  of  all  trades,"  so  in 
the  villages  and  cities  such  craftsmen  were  most  welcome, 
who  could  be  helpful  in  many  different  ways.  As  Gottlieb 
Mittelberger,  a  German  teacher  visiting  Pennsylvania  in  1  750, 
stated  in  one  of  his  letters:  "No  profession  is  restrained  by 
the  laws  of  guilds.  Every  one  can  make  his  living  according 
to  his  choice.  He  may  carry  on  ten  different  trades,  and 
nobody    will    hinder    him." 

A  splendid  type  of  such  many-sided  men  was  Christopher 
Saur,  the  famous  printer  at  Germantown.  Of  him  Pastorius 
speaks  in  his  notes:  "He  is  a  very  ingenious  man,  who  learned 
about  thirty  different  professions  without  the  help  of  an  in- 
structor. He  came  here  as  a  tailor;  but  now  he  is  a  printer, 
apothecary,  surgeon,  botanist,  watchmaker,  carpenter,  book- 
binder and  newspaper  man.  He  made  all  his  tools  for  print- 
ing;  he  also  makes  paper,  wire,  lead,   etc." 

Such  ingenious  craftsmen  were  the  very  first  in  starting 
many  industries  in  America,  which  flourish  to-day.  The 
earliest  iron-works  on  record  were  operated  by  miners  from 
Siegen,  Germany,  who  on  invitation  of  Governor  Spotswood 
established  a  settlement  Germanna  at  the  Rapidan  River  in 
Virginia  in  1714.  Two  lears  later  Thomas  Ruetter  or  Rut- 
ter  from  Germantown,  Pa.,  founded  the  first  ironworks  in 
Pennsylvania  at  the  Matawny  Creek,  Berks  County.  The  first 
hammer-works  and  smelting  furnaces  were  constructed  in 
1  750  by  Johannes  Huber.  His  furnace,  located  in  Lancaster 
County,  Pa.,  bore  the  inscription: 

"Johann   Huber  ist    der   erste  deutsche   Mann 
Der   das   Eisenwerk  vollfiihren   kann." 

33 


In  175  7  he  sold  his  works  to  a  German  Baron,  Friedrich 
Wilhelm  von  Stiegel,  a  genuine   "captain  of  industry." 

Engaging  large  numbers  of  German  smiths  and  other  work- 
men, he  started  the  town  of  Mannheim,  where  he  made  iron 
stoves,  wagons  and  many  other  things. 

Perhaps  the  greatest  of  all  American  industrials  of  the  1  8th 
century  was  Peter  Hasenclever,  born  in  1  7  1  6  in  Remscheid, 
a  city  in  Rhenish  Prussia,  famous  for  her  iron-industry.  Having 
been  informed,  that  North  America  was  rich  in  iron  and  forests 
and  that  the  English  government  was  compelled  to  import 
annually  more  than  40,000  tons  of  rod-iron,  he  submitted 
plans  to  work  these  mines  and,  by  manufacturing  rod-iron, 
make  England  independent  of  other  countries.  As  his  propo- 
sitions were  favored,  he  emigrated  to  New  York  in  1  765  and 
established  numerous  smelting  and  stamping  works,  forges 
and  other  factories  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  German  Flats 
in  the  Mohawk  Valley.  From  his  native  home  he  imported 
550  miners  and  smiths,  for  whom  he  built  200  houses.  By 
damming  several  creeks  he  provided  cheap  and  constant 
water  power;  by  constructing  good  roads  and  bridges  he  also 
procured  means  of  communication. 

Within  a  few  years  the  establishment  grew  to  a  most  prom- 
ising seat  of  industry,  with  all  prospects  for  a  bright  future. 
But  unfortunately  the  English  partners  of  Hasenclever,  living 
in  London,  were  dishonest  people.  Leading  a  very  luxurious 
life,  they  burdened  the  establishment  with  such  heavy  debts, 
that  Hasenclever,  in  spite  of  all  efforts,  was  unable  to  prevent 
its  bankruptcy.  To  save  his  good  name  he  went  to  England 
and  instituted  proceedings  against  his  partners.  The  lawsuit 
dragged  along  for  twenty  years,  but  was  decided  after  Hasen- 
clever's  death  in  favor  of  his  heirs,  to  whom  the  accused  party 
had  to  pay  one  million  Thalers  indemnity. 

Another  enterprising  German  of  the  1 8th  century  was 
Johann  Jacob  Faesch,  owner  of  the  Mount  Hope  forges. 
During  the  war  for  independence  he  supplied  the  American 
army  with  large  quantities  of  cannon  and  ammunition.  Other 
Germans  furnished  it  with  splendid  guns,  with  which  the 
Minute  Men  worked  great  havoc  in  British  lines.  The  bored 
rifles  in  particular,  made  by  German  gun-smiths  in  Lancaster, 
Pa.,  were  highly  prized  in  all  colonies. 

The  first  glass-factory  was  started  in  1  738  near  Salem, 
N.  J.,  by  Kaspar  Wiister,  a  native  of  Heidelberg.  His  name 
became  corrupted  to  Wistar.  That  the  manufacture  of  glass 
was  exclusively  in  the  hands  of  Germans,  is  proved  by  a 
letter  of  Lord  Sheffield,  who,  in  writing  about  the  glass- 
works of  Pennsylvania  and  New  Jersey,  said:  "Hitherto  these 
manufactures  have  been   carried   on  by   German   workmen." 

34 


The  inhabitants  of  Germantown  were  noted  for  their 
splendid  textile  fabrics.  Germans  were  also  the  pioneers  in 
the  manufacture  of  felt,  hats,  leather  wares,  watches,  bells, 
and  many  other  things.  As  early  as  1  730  German  mechanics 
in  America  began  to  make  musical  instruments.  In  the  year 
mentioned  Heinrich  Neering  of  New  York  built  the  first 
organ  for  the  Trinity  community.  And  in  1775  Johann 
Behrent  constructed  the  first  pianoforte  in  America. 

Besides  these  farmers,  craftsmen,  artisans  and  industrials 
there  were  also  many  German  merchants,  for  whom  Dr.  Rush 
also  expressed  appreciation.  In  his  booklet  he  says:  "The 
genius  of  the  Germans  is,  however,  not  confined  to  agriculture 
and  the  mechanical  arts.  As  merchants  they  are  candid  and 
punctual.  The  Bank  of  North  America  bears  witness  to  their 
fidelity  in   all   pecuniary   transactions." 

These  merchants  traded  in  spices,  drygoods,  hardwares, 
agricultural  tools,  books,  musical  instruments,  clothes  and 
many  other  things.  The  larger  cities  had  also  German  apothe- 
caries and  inns,  as  for  instance  in  Philadelphia  "The  King  of 
Prussia,"  "The  Black  Eagle"  and  "The  Golden  Lamb." 

Furthermore,  there  were  also  a  number  of  German  printers, 
who,  like  Christoph  Saur  and  Peter  Zenger,  published  news- 
papers, calendars  and  books  in  German  as  well  as  in  English. 
Benjamin  Franklin  states,  that  of  the  six  printing  houses  in 
Pennsylvania  four  were  German  or  half  German,  while  only 
two  were  entirely  English.  He  mentions  also,  that  the  Ger- 
mans imported  many  books  from  abroad. 

They  also  had  their  own  ministers  and  teachers.  A  pamph- 
let, printed  in  1  755  in  Pennsylvania,  states:  "The  Germans 
have  schools  and  meeting  houses  in  almost  every  township 
thro'  the  province,  and  have  more  churches  and  other  places 
of  -worship  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia  itself  than  those  of  all 
other  persuasions  together." 

In  view  of  all  these  facts  there  can  be  no  doubt,  that  the 
Germans,  living  in  the  colonies,  were  a  very  useful  and  valu- 
able element,  well  deserving  the  high  esteem,  extended  to 
them  by  all  fair-minded  people.  Concluding  his  essay  about 
his   German    fellow-citizens   Dr.    Rush   said: 

"Citizens  of  the  United  States,  learn  from  the  German  in- 
habitants of  Pennsylvania,  to  prize  knowledge  and  industry  in 
agriculture  and  manufacture,  as  the  basis  of  domestic  happi- 
ness and  national  prosperity. 

Legislatures  of  the  United  States,  learn  from  the  wealth 
and  independence  of  the  German  inhabitants  of  Pennsylvania, 
to  encourage  by  example  and  laws  the  republican  virtues  of 
industry  and  economy.  They  are  the  only  pillars  which  can 
support  the  present  constitution  of  the  United  States. 

35 


Legislators  of  Pennsylvania,  learn  from  the  history  of  your 
German  fellow-citizens,  that  you  possess  an  inexhaustible 
treasure  in  the  bosom  of  the  State,  in  their  manners  and  arts. 
Do  not  contend  against  their  prejudice  in  favor  of  their  lang- 
uage. It  will  be  the  channel  through  which  the  knowledge  and 
discoveries  of  the  wisest  nation  in  Europe  may  be  conveyed 
to  our  country.  Invite  them  to  share  in  the  power  and  offices 
of  government:  it  will  be  a  bond  of  union  in  principle  and 
conduct  between  them,  and  those  of  their  enlightened  fellow- 
citizens,  who  are  descended  from  other  nations.  Above  all, 
cherish  with  peculiar  tenderness  those  sects  among  them  who 
hold  war  to  be  unlawful.  Relieve  them  from  the  oppression 
of  absurd  and  unnecessary  military  laws.  Protect  them  as 
the  repositories  of  truth  of  the  gospel,  which  has  existed  in 
every  age  of  the  church,  and  which  must  spread  over  every 
part  of  the  world.  Perhaps  those  German  sects  among  us 
(here  are  meant  the  Mennonites,  Moravians  and  Tunkers), 
who  refuse  to  bear  arms  for  the  purpose  of  shedding  human 
blood,  may  be  preserved  by  divine  providence  as  the  centre 
of  a  circle,  which  shall  gradually  embrace  all  nations  of  the 
earth  in  a  perpetual  treaty  of  friendship  and  peace." 


Promoters  of  the  Cause  of  Liberty. 


Tacitus,  the  great  Roman  Historian,  writing  of  the  early 
Germans  in  his  famous  book  "Germania,"  declared  one  of 
their  noblest  characteristics  to  be  their  independent  spirit, 
lauding  their  strong  love  for  nature  and  liberty.  Grown  up 
among  majestic  forests  and  breathing  the  pure  air  of  the 
mountains  they  regarded  towns  as  prisons  and  refrained  from 
building  them.  So  great  was  their  love  of  freedom  that  it 
frequently  led  them  to  suicide  rather  than  surrender  into 
captivity. 

Unconquered  by  the  Romans  this  spirit  survived  throughout 
the  many  centuries  following  the  famous  battle  in  the  Teuto- 
burgian  Forests.  Many  thousands  of  Germans  were  moved 
by  it  to  emigrate  to  America,  in  order  to  escape  intellectual 
or  bodily  servitude,  threatening  during  the  Thirty  Years'  War. 
So  also  during  the  raids  of  the  French  into  the  Palatinate  and 
other  borderlands  of  the  Rhine. 

Picture  then  the  dismay  of  the  Germans,  who,  hoping  to 
find  freedom  and  liberty  in  America,  became  aware  of  the 
fact  that  many  of  the  detested  institutions  of  Europe  had  been 
transplanted  to  the  New  World  and  had  become  firmly 
rooted.  Favorites  of  the  British  king,  after  squandering  their 
money  in  gambling  and  high  living,  were  entrusted  with  the 
government  of  the  colonies  and  assumed  office  merely  to 
recoup  their  lost  fortunes.  The  colonies  were  overrun,  too, 
by  hordes  of  impoverished  aristocrats,  cunning  adventurers 
and  unscrupulous  speculators,  all  incited  by  the  mad  desire 
to   get  rich  quickly. 

By  bribing  the  governors  and  other  officials  many  of  these 
questionable  gentlemen  had  succeeded  in  obtaining  valuable 
privileges  or  securing  titles  to  large  tracts  of  land,  where  they 
lived  in  the  luxurious  style  of  lords. 

The  common  people  found  small  protection  against  the 
insolence  of  these  drones  of  society,  who  looked  with  disdain 
upon  "the  rabble."  Immigrants,  who  could  not  speak  English 
fluently,  were  often  treated  worse  than  slaves,  these  insolent 
officials  and  aristocrats  holding  the  view,  that  the  English  were 
the  cream  of  creation,  and  that  an  imperfect  command  of  their 
language  meant  defectiveness.  Irritated  by  their  arrogance 
and  oppressions,  the  people  resented  their  disdain  with  ill- 
concealed   hate. 

37 


The  antagonism  between  the  two  classes  grew  to  bitter 
party-strife  and  revolt  during  that  stormy  period,  when  the 
crown  of  England  passed  from  the  Catholic  King  James  II. 
to  the  Protestant  William  III.  Amidst  the  upheaval,  caused 
in  the  colonies  by  this  sudden  change,  Sir  Edmond  Andros, 
Governor-General  of  the  combined  colonies  of  New  England, 
New  York  and  New  Jersey,  was  seized  by  the  people  of  Boston 
and  together  with  fifty  of  his  followers  sent  to  England.  His 
representative  in  New  York,  Francis  Nicholson,  a  most  un- 
popular official,  fled  to  the  fort  at  the  Southern  point  of  Man- 
hattan Island,  but  he  was  captured,  as  the  people  had  been 
aroused  by  the  alarming  rumor,  that  he  intended  to  burn  the 
city  and  deliver  the  colony  to  the  French.  The  majority  of 
the  people  being  Protestants,  they  resolved  to  hold  the 
colonies  for  the  new  King  William. 

To  save  New  York  from  greater  disorder  and  defend  it 
against  an  invasion  by  the  French,  it  became  necessary  to 
elect  a  temporary  governor.  It  was  then  that  the  people 
chose  a  German,  Jacob  Leisler,  a  native  of  Frankfort-on-the- 
Main,  who,  upon  coming  to  New  York  in  1  660,  had  attained 
great  success  as  a  merchant.  A  man  of  great  energy,  high 
spirits  and  of  noted  integrity,  he  was  senior  captain  of  the 
militia.  By  marriage  he  was  connected  with  the  Dutch  aristo- 
cracy of  the  town.  Thus  Leisler  appeared  to  be  the  right 
person,  to  save  the  colony  from  further  unrest  and  calamity. 

However,  the  people's  party  had  under-estimated  the  hatred 
of  the  Aristocrats.  From  the  moment  Leisler  assumed  charge 
of  affairs,  the  latter  began  to  denounce  him  as  a  demagogue. 
In  connection  with  the  rest  of  the  officials,  who  had  fled  to 
Albany,  they  started  a  regular  campaign  of  secret  intrigue 
and  open  hostility.  Flooding  the  government  in  London  with 
complaints,  they  decried  Leisler  and  the  members  of  his 
council  as  foreign-born  plebeians,  mutineers  and  tyrants, 
falsely  alleging  that  they  had  seized  their  offices  only  to 
enrich  themselves  and  to  defraud  the  government  of  its  taxes. 
At  the  same  time  they  declined  to  acknowledge  Leisler  and 
his  councilors,   and   incited   all   colonists  to  refuse  obedience. 

To  remain  silent  under  such  calumniation  and  provocation 
was  impossible.  Leisler  commissioned  a  company  of  soldiers 
under  command  of  his  son-in-law,  Major  Jacob  Milborne,  to 
go  to  Albany  to  compel  the  aristocrats  to  acknowledge  him 
and  to  occupy  the  fort,  as  at  the  Canadian  border  hostilities 
by  the  French  and  their  Indian  allies  were  imminent.  Un- 
fortunately the  company  was  not  strong  enough  to  capture 
the  fort,  the  Aristocrats  being  on  their  guard  and  defending 
Albany  successfully,  so  that  Milborne  had  to  withdraw.  Soon 
afterwards,  however,  the  nearby  town  of  Schenectady  was 
surprised  by  the  French  and  Indians,  while  the  unsuspecting 
inhabitants  were  asleep.      The  whole  settlement  was  burned, 

38 


60  people  killed  and  90  carried  away  as  prisoners.  When  the 
news  of  this  assault  reached  Albany,  the  frightened  aristocrats 
fled  to  Massachusetts,  leaving  the  defense  of  the  city  to  Leisler, 
who  once  more  proved   himself  equal  to  the  emergency. 

Convinced  that  the  colonies  would  never  be  safe  unless 
the  French  were  driven  from  Canada,  and  that  for  an  effective 
resistance  against  the  formidable  foe  co-operation  on  the  part 
of  all  colonies  was  essential,  Leisler  invited  the  governors  of 
all  the  other  colonies  to  a  council  at  New  York.  It  was  the 
first  ever  held,  and  by  this  act  Leisler  aroused  the  colonists 
to  a  sense  of  common  interest,  which  kept  on  increasing  and 
was  destined  to  culminate  in  the  Continental  Congress  of 
1776. 

That  memorable  council  took  place  on  May  1,  1690, 
attended  by  delegates  from  New  York,  Connecticut,  Massa- 
chusetts, Plymouth,  New  Jersey  and  Maryland.  It  was 
resolved,  that  855  men,  assisted  by  an  auxiliary  force  of  1600 
Mohawk  Indians,  should  attack  Canada  by  land,  while  at  the 
same  time  a  fleet  of  32  vessels  should  ascend  the  St.  Lawrence 
River  and  bombard  Quebec.  The  campaign  was  undertaken 
by  the  colonies  at  their  own  cost  and  responsibility,  without 
the   aid    of    the    mother   country. 

Unfortunately  its  aims  were  not  realized,  as  the  leaders 
of  the  two  expeditions,  lacking  energy,  were  not  victorious 
in  their  attacks.  Leisler  himself,  however,  gained  a  success 
by  capturing  six  French  vessels,  which  had  dared  to  come  to 
the  vicinity  of  New  York. 

The  campaign,  undertaken  on  Leisler's  recommendation, 
burdened  the  colonies  with  considerable  expense.  Its  failure 
was  of  course  used  by  his  enemies  to  make  a  scapegoat  of 
him   and   to   undermine   his   reputation  by   malicious   slander. 

This  was  the  situation,  when  in  January,  1 69 1 ,  a  vessel 
from  England  brought  the  news,  that  the  home  government 
had  appointed  a  new  governor  for  New  York  in  the  person 
of  Colonel  Henry  Sloughter.  It  was  stated  that  this  official 
had  set  out  with  several  vessels  and  many  troops  to  take 
charge   of  the  colony. 

By  misadventure  a  heavy  storm  separated  his  vessel  from 
the  fleet  and  compelled  him  to  a  delay  of  several  weeks  at 
the  Bermudas.  In  the  meantime  the  fleet,  with  Major  Ingoldsby 
the  second  in  command,  arrived  in  the  harbor  of  New  York. 
The  aristocrats  at  once  set  out  to  win  the  favor  of  the  new 
arrival  and  to  influence  him  against  Leisler.  These  efforts 
proved  successful  when  Ingoldsby's  demand,  to  surrender  the 
fort  at  once,  was  answered  by  Leisler  with  the  request  for 
documentary  proof  of  Ingoldsby's  authority.  As  such  docu- 
ment was  not  at  hand,  Leisler  refused  to  give  up  the  fort. 
Ingoldsby,  feeling  himself  aggrieved  in  his  honor  as  an  officer, 
ordered  his  soldiers  to  take  the  fort  by  force,  but  was  repelled 

39 


and  lost  several  of  his  men.  Ingoldsby  now  laid  siege  to  the 
fort  for  several  weeks;  meanwhile  Leisler's  enemies  continued 
their  slanderous  activity  with  renewed  vigor. 

On  March  1  9  the  vessel  of  Governor  Sloughter  finally  hove 
into  sight.  Ingoldsby  delivered  his  report.  Amplified  by  the 
complaints  of  the  aristocrats,  who  hurried  to  pay  their  respects 
to  the  new  governor,  it  so  enraged  Sloughter  that  he  demanded 
immediate  and  unconditional  surrender  of  the  fort.  Although 
Leisler  immediately  complied,  he  and  the  members  of  his 
council  were  placed  under  arrest,  and  thrown  into  prison. 

Paying  no  attention  to  Leisler's  side  of  the  story  Sloughter 
next  instituted  a  court  martial,  appointing  several  personal 
enemies  of  Leisler  as  judges.  These  acts  sealed  the  fate  of 
Leisler.  Charged  with  rebellion  and  high  treason,  he  as  well 
as  Milborne  were  condemned  to  be  executed. 

In  view  of  the  manifest  injustice  of  this  decision  Sloughter 
hesitated  to  sign  the  death  warrant.  But  the  aristocrats, 
having  invited  him  to  a  banquet,  procured  his  signature  while 
he  was  intoxicated.  Even  before  he  could  regain  his  sober 
senses,  the  two  condemned  men  were  dragged  to  the  place 
of  execution,  where,  on  March  16,  1 69 1 ,  they  were  hanged 
and   their  bodies   beheaded. 

Thus  died  Jacob  Leisler,  the  first  martyr  in  the  long  struggle 
of  the  American  people  for  liberty,  the  first  of  the  men  chosen 
by  the  people  in  their  efforts  to  wrest  the  right  of  self-govern- 
ment from  the  hands  of  their  oppressors. 

While  the  aristocrats  rejoiced  in  triumph,  their  villainous 
acts  aroused  bitter  resentment  in  all  parts  of  the  colony,  and 
a   popular   uprising   was   imminent. 

From  the  tombs  of  the  murdered  men  arose  the  spirit 
of  revenge.  To  perpetuate  the  memory  of  its  former  leader, 
the  people's  party  now  named  itself  "The  Leisler  Party," 
henceforth  steadily  gaining  ground.  In  the  elections  of  1  699 
this  party  cast  455  votes,  while  its  opponents  had  only  177; 
it  gained  1  6  seats  out  of  the  2  1  in  the  assembly.  Resistance 
to  the  insolence  and  domination  of  the  aristocrats  became 
stronger   and   stronger   and   spread   to   all   the   other   colonies. 

•t*  r£*  V  *f* 

About  that  time  a  German  lad,  thirteen  years  of  age,  arrived 
in  New  York.  His  father,  one  of  those  unhappy  Palatines 
who  were  driven  from  their  homes  by  the  French,  had  died 
at  sea.  But  the  name  of  this  helpless  orphan:  Johann  Peter 
Zenger,  has  gone  into  history  and  it  behooves  every  lover 
of  American  liberty  to   remember  it. 

Soon  after  his  arrival  Zenger  became  an  apprentice  to 
William  Bradford,  a  printer,  who  had  been  allowed  by  the 
government  to  establish  a  printing  office  in  New  York.  This 
permission  had  of  course  been  granted  under  great  restrictions, 
as  the   British  government  did  not  look  with  favor  upon  the 

40 


great  invention,  made  by  Johannes  Gutenberg  in  Mayence. 
The  crown  regarded  it  as  a  dangerous  means  of  distributing 
unwelcome  political  news,  and  apt  to  inform  people  about 
incidents  and  transactions  of  which  it  wanted  them  to  remain 
ignorant.  For  this  reason  the  few  printers  who  had  drifted  to 
the  colonies,  when  attempting  to  publish  newspapers,  incurred 
disfavor  and  were  discouraged  at  the  start.  The  "Public 
Occurrences,"  edited  on  September  25,  1690,  by  Benjamin 
Harris  of  Boston,  were  at  once  stopped.  In  Virginia  and 
Maryland  it  was  strictly  forbidden  to  set  up  a  printing  press. 
In  Philadelphia  William  Bradford  was  ordered,  in  1692,  to 
close  his  office.  Moving  to  New  York,  he  succeeded,  after 
many  petitions,  in  getting  permission  to  publish  "The  New 
York  Gazette."  Of  course  this  paper  was  the  organ  of  the 
governor's  party  and  promoted  his  interests  and  those  of  the 
aristocrats  only. 

Having  served  as  an  apprentice  in  Bradford's  office  for 
several  years,  Zenger  later  on  became  Bradford's  assistant 
and  partner.  In  1733,  however,  he  left  the  partnership, 
probably  because  his  political  views  were  in  too  strong  a  con- 
trast with  those  of  Bradford,  who  remained  a  devoted  instru- 
ment of  the  government.  Zenger,  on  the  other  hand,  had 
become  an  active  member  of  the  people's  or  Leisler's  party. 

His  first  step  after  his  separation  from  Bradford  was  to 
start  an  independent  newspaper,  the  "New  York  Weekly 
Journal."  First  issued  on  November  5,  1  733,  it  voiced  the 
sentiments  of  the  people.  Among  its  supporters  and  contrib- 
utors were  some  of  the  ablest  men  of  the  colony,  lawyers  and 
judges,  who  took  up  all  grievances  of  the  public  against  the 
government  and  discussed  them  in  bold  and  sometimes  satir- 
ical manner. 

To  give  an  idea  of  the  articles  that  found  their  way  into 
the  columns  of  the  "Journal,"  we  quote  the  following  sentence 
of  one  of  the  contributors,  a  former  judge.  "We  see  men's 
deeds  destroyed,  judges  arbitrarily  displaced,  new  courts 
erected  without  the  consent  of  the  legislature,  by  which  it 
seems  to  me  trials  by  jury  are  taken  away  when  a  governor 
pleases;  men  of  known  estates  denied  their  votes  contrary  to 
the  recent  practice  of  the  best  expositor  of  any  law.  Who  is 
there  in  that  province  that  can  call  anything  his  own,  or  enjoy 
any  liberty  longer  than  those  in  the  administration  will  con- 
descend to  let  them,  for  which  reason  I  left  it,  as  I  believe 
more   will." 

Such  plain  speaking  had  never  before  been  heard  in  the 
colonies.  No  wonder  the  governor  became  highly  incensed 
at  the  "Journal"  and  directed  the  Grand  Jury  to  indict  Zenger, 
the  publisher,  for  libel.  At  the  same  time  he  ordered  that 
four  numbers  of  the  offending  paper  be  publicly  burned  by 
the  hangman,    "as  containing  many  things  derogatory  of  the 

41 


dignity  of  His  Majesty's  Government,  reflecting  upon  the 
legislature  and  tending  to  raise  seditions  and  tumults  in  the 
province.''  The  mayor  and  the  city  magistrates  were  requested 
to  be  present  at  the  burning  of  the  papers. 

But  the  Grand  Jury  failed  to  see  any  cause  for  the  accusa- 
tions against  Zenger,  nor  was  the  Colonial  Assembly  willing 
to  concur  in  a  resolution  of  the  council,  that  the  objectionable 
numbers  of  the  "Journal"  be  burned  by  the  hangman.  The 
burgomaster  and  the  magistrate  also  refused  to  be  present 
at  the  act  and  prohibited  the  hangman,  who  was  subject  to 
their  jurisdiction,  from  executing  the  mandate  of  the  governor. 

Wild  with  rage,  the  governor  now  caused  the  four  issues 
of  the  "Journal"  to  be  burned  by  a  negro  slave,  in  the  presence 
of  the  sheriff  and  the  recorder  of  New  York.  Not  content  with 
this  action  he  ordered  the  arrest  of  Zenger,  and  had  him 
confined  in  prison,  denying  him  all  writing  material.  To  pre- 
vent his  release,  his  bail  was  fixed  at  eight  hundred  pounds, 
a  sum  so  high  at  that  time,  that  it  was  impossible  for  the 
printer's  friends  to  raise  it.  Nevertheless  Zenger  continued 
to  edit  his  paper,  dictating  instructions  to  his  employees 
through  a  crack   in  the  prison  door. 

The  Grand  Jury  again  in  January,  1  735,  found  that  no 
cause  for  indicting  Zenger  existed,  whereupon  the  Attorney- 
General  filed  an  Information  for  Seditious  Libel  against  him, 
and  arraigned  him  for  trial  before  the  court  he  had  censured. 
Zenger's  lawyers  attacked  the  constitutionality  of  the  court, 
but  by  this  objection  so  enraged  the  president  of  that  court, 
that  they  were  at  once  disbarred  for  contempt  of  court  and 
the   case  adjourned. 

As  there  were  no  other  advocates  in  New  York  who  dared 
to  defend  the  printer,  his  case  seemed  hopeless.  The  trial, 
however,  had  become  more  than  a  personal  matter;  the  cause 
of  all  the  people  being  at  stake.  The  friends  of  Zenger  suc- 
ceeded in  summoning  to  his  aid  the  most  famous  advocate  in 
the  colonies,  Andrew  Hamilton  of  Philadelphia.  This  gentle- 
man presented  his  arguments  so  adroitly,  and  pleaded  the 
cause  of  his  client  so  eloquently,  that  the  jury  could  do  nothing 
else  but  set  Zenger  free. 

Admitting  at  the  outset,  that  Zenger  had  published  the 
articles,  Hamilton  maintained  that  the  question  for  the  jury 
to  decide  was  not  whether  or  not  the  articles  had  been  printed, 
but  whether  or  not  the  articles  which  he  had  printed  were  a 
libel.  These  articles  had  been  described  as  "false,  scandalous, 
malicious  and  seditious."  Hamilton  explained  that  there  was 
nothing  false  in  these  articles,  but  that  they  were  statements 
of  true  facts  and  that  the  unreserved  expression  of  opinion, 
on  such  true  facts,  was  the  undeniable  right  of  every  free 
British  citizen.  If  the  paragraphs,  published  by  Zenger,  gave 
nothing  but  true  facts,  they  could  not  be  condemned  as  a  libel. 

42 


In  conclusion  Hamilton  said:  "The  question  before  the  court, 
and  you,  gentlemen  of  the  jury,  is  not  of  small  nor  private 
concern,  it  is  not  the  cause  of  a  poor  printer,  nor  of  New  York 
alone,  which  you  are  trying.  No!  It  may  in  its  consequences 
affect  every  Freeman  that  lives  under  a  British  Government 
on  the  main  of  America!  It  is  the  best  cause,  it  is  the  cause 
of  Liberty,  and  I  make  no  doubt  but  your  upright  conduct, 
this  day,  will  not  only  entitle  you  to  the  love  arid  esteem  of 
your  fellow-citizens,  but  every  man  who  prefers  freedom  to 
a  life  of  slavery  will  bless  and  honor  you  as  men  who  have 
baffled  the  attempts  of  tyranny;  and  by  an  impartial  and 
uncorrupt  verdict  have  laid  a  noble  foundation  for  securing 
to  ourselves,  our  posterity  and  our  neighbors,  that,  to  which 
nature  and  the  laws  of  our  country  have  given  us  a  right  — 
the  Liberty,  both  of  exposing  and  opposing  arbitrary  power 
by  speaking  and  writing  Truth!" 

When  the  jury  returned  with  their  verdict  of  "Not  guilty!" 
the  entire  population  of  New  York  indulged  in  wild  demon- 
strations in  honor  of  both  Hamilton  and  Zenger,  as  the  heroes 
of  a  trial,  whereby  one  of  the  highest  privileges  —  the 
freedom  of  the  press  —  became  established  in  America. 
Encouraged  by  this  success  to  a  realization  of  its  inherent 
power  the  people  aimed  now  to  free  themselves  from  material 
oppression  by  the  government  and  from  the  greed  of  English 
merchants.  While  the  governors  always  strove  to  curtail  the 
colonies  in  those  privileges  which  had  been  guaranteed  to 
them  by  their  charters,  the  merchants  in  London  had  suc- 
ceeded, after  the  French  war,  in  influencing  Parliament  to  pass 
certain  laws,  which  were  in  their  own  favor,  but  gave  not  the 
slightest  consideration  to  the  needs  and  welfare  of  the  colonists. 
By  these  laws  the  latter  were  forbidden  to  manufacture  any 
articles  that  could  be  procured  in  England,  especially  cloth 
and  articles  composed  of  iron.  No  hats,  no  paper,  no  plough- 
shares, no  horse-shoes  were  allowed  to  be  made  in  the 
colonies.  Whatever  they  required  of  European  goods,  the 
colonists  were  obliged  to  buy  in  England,  and  to  have  brought 
over  to  America  in  English  vessels.  Thus  the  English  mer- 
chants might  set  the  price  to  suit  themselves,  while  English 
ship  owners  might  wax  fat  on  freights.  Another  law  forbade 
the  selling  of  products,  such  as  tobacco,  cotton,  hides  and  furs 
to  any  country  other  than  England.  This  meant  that  prices 
offered  by  the  English  merchants,  although  much  lower  than 
might  have  been  obtained  in  international  trade,  had  to  be 
accepted.  And  worst  of  all,  the  colonists  were  burdened  with 
heavy  taxes  without  the  right  of  representation  in  Parliament. 

No  vigorous,  self-respecting  people  would  submit  to  selfish 
measures  of  this  sort  for  any  length  of  time.  Of  men,  grown 
up  in  the  freedom  of  the  American  forests  and  mountains, 
such  servile  submission  could   not  be  expected,   and  least  of 

43 


all   of   these  citizens  of  foreign  birth,  who  had  no  reason  to 
be  loyal  to  a  king  because  of  national  ties. 

It  is  therefore  not  surprising  that  the  Germans  in  America 
stood  in  the  front  ranks  of  the  patriots  who  protested  against 
unjust  oppression.  As  early  as  1  765  many  Germans  signed 
a  manifesto  in  which  the  merchants  and  traders  of  Philadelphia 
threatened  to  boycott  all  English  goods,  in  case  the  govern- 
ment did  not  repeal  the  stamp-act.  Several  years  later,  in 
1  772,  the  Germans  joined  "The  Patriotic  Society  of  the  City 
and  County  of  Philadelphia,"  to  defend  those  rights  and  priv- 
ileges, which  had  been  granted  to  the  province  in  former  times* 
It  is  recorded  also  that  they  took  part  in  a  mass-meeting,  to 
protest  against  the  threatened  closing  of  Boston  Harbor  on 
account  of  the  tea  episode.  This  mass-meeting  was  attended 
by  8000  persons,  and  a  "Correspondence  Committee"  was 
elected  for  the  purpose  of  consulting  with  all  other  colonies 
about  concentrated  action  for  an  energetic  repulse  of  English 
encroachments. 

The  Germans  living v  in  these  other  colonies  also  held  mass- 
meetings  and  adopted  resolutions  of  strong  protest.  A  meet- 
ing held  on  June  16,  1774,  in  Woodstock,  Virginia,  with 
Rev.  Peter  Muehlenberg  as  chairman,  passed  a  resolution, 
bolder  in  language  than  any  other.  The  following  passages 
show  the  spirit  pervading  it:  "Resolved,  that  we  will  pay  due 
submission  to  such  acts  of  government  as  His  Majesty  has  a 
right  by  law  to  exercise  over  his  subjects,   and  to  such  only. 

That  it  is  the  inherent  right  of  British  subjects  to  be  gov- 
erned and  taxed  by  representatives  chosen  by  themselves  only, 
and  that  every  act  of  the  British  Parliament  respecting  the 
internal  policy  of  America  is  a  dangerous  and  unconstitutional 
invasion  of  our  rights  and  privileges. 

That  the  enforcement  of  said  acts  of  Parliament  by  a  mili- 
tary power  will  necessarily  have  a  tendency  to  cause  a  civil 
war,  thereby  dissolving  that  union,  which  has  so  long  happily 
subsisted  between  the  mother  country  and  her  colonies;  and 
that  we  will  most  heartily  and  unanimously  concur  with  our 
suffering  brethren  in  Boston  and  every  other  part  of  North 
America,  who  are  the  immediate  victims  of  tyranny,  in 
promoting  all  proper  measures  to  avert  such  dreadful  calam- 
ities, to  procure  redress  of  our  grievances,  and  to  secure  our 
common   liberties." 

The  spirit  of  rebellion  was  also  active  among  the  Palatines 
of  the  Mohawk  Valley,  in  the  province  New  York.  On  August 
24,  1774,  they  united  in  a  declaration,  never  to  become 
slaves,  but  to  defend  their  liberty  at  any  price. 

That  these  were  not  empty  words,  they  proved,  when  the 
great  struggle  for  independence  began. 


44 


Heroes  in  the  War  for  Our  Independence. 

When  Patrick  Henry  with  his  stirring  words:  "Give  me 
liberty  or  give  me  death!"  raised  the  battle  cry,  great  excite- 
ment spread  through  all  the  colonies.  Interest  in  trade,  crops, 
hunting  or  fishing  was  no  more!  The  shops  of  the  workmen 
and  the  offices  of  the  merchants  were  deserted.  Only  in  the 
sooty  workshops  of  the  armourers  and  gun-makers  sounded 
the  hammers,  ground  the  files  and  whirled  the  whet-stones 
untiringly.  The  whole  country,  united  in  its  glowing  passion 
for   liberty,    prepared   for  war. 

Among  the  most  enthusiastic  patriots  were  the  Germans. 
Everywhere  the  young  men  responded  to  the  call  of  Congress 
for  volunteers.  The  spirit  of  that  response  may  be  judged 
by  the  example  given  by  Pennsylvania.  On  June  14,  1775, 
Congress  ordered  that  province  to  furnish  six  companies  of 
sharpshooters.  Instead,  Pennsylvania  provided  nine,  four  of 
which  were  entirely  German  and  were  commanded  by  Ger- 
man officers.  Several  divisions  of  these,  commanded  by 
Colonel  Nagel  and  Colonel  Daudel,  immediately  marched  to 
Boston  to  join  Washington's  army.  The  first  to  arrive  were 
sharpshooters  of  Berks  County,  splendid  fellows,  every  one 
of  whom  would  have  been  welcomed  by  King  Frederick  the 
Great  into  his  famous  body-guard  of  giants.  These  sun-burnt 
backwoodsmen,  dressed  in  deer  skin  or  homespun  hunting 
suits,  and  wearing  fur  caps,  armed  with  rifles,  tomahawks  and 
hunting  knives,  created  a  great  sensation  everywhere.  On  the 
breast  of  each,  written  in  large  letters,  appeared  their  watch- 
word: "Liberty  or  Death!" 

Similar  squads  of  German  sharpshooters  made  the  long 
march  from  Virginia  to  Massachusetts  with  Daniel  Morgan. 
When  Washington  espied  them  from  a  distance,  he  galloped 
up  to  them,  and  when  they  reported:  "Sharpshooters  from 
the  right  bank  of  the  Potomac!"  he  jumped  from  his  horse 
to  greet  them.  Tears  of  joy  streamed  over  his  face  upon 
beholding  these  splendid  men,  who' had  tramped  six  hundred 
miles  to  come  to  his  assistance. 

During  the  siege  of  Boston  these  German  sharpshooters 
rendered  invaluable  service.  Carrying  bored  rifles,  which  at 
that  time  were  made  onlv  by  German  gun-smiths  of  Penn- 
sylvania, they  surpassed  all  other  Americans  in  marksmanship. 
Aiming  especially  at  the  officers,  they  caused  such  havoc 
among  the  British  regiments,  that  one  of  the  members  of  the 
Parliament  cried:    "Those  Americans  know  more  of  our  army 

45 


than  we  dream  of.  They  shut  it  up,  besiege  it,  destroy  and 
crush  it.  Wherever  our  officers  show  their  noses,  they  are 
swept  away  by  American  rifles." 

The  splendid  work,  done  by  these  German  marksmen, 
induced  Congress  on  May  25,  1  776,  to  call  for  the  formation 
of  an  entirely  German  batallion,  whose  eight  companies  should 
be  made  up  half  of  Pennsylvanians,  and  half  of  Marylanders. 
The  Germans  of  Pennsylvania,  however,  not  content  with 
doing  their  share,  provided  in  a  few  weeks  five  complete 
companies.  This  batallion  distinguished  itself  at  Trenton, 
Princeton,  Brandywine,  Germantown,  and  in  the  border  fights 
at  the  headwaters  of  the  Susquehannah  and  Potomac  Rivers. 

Unfortunately  we  have  no  certain  knowledge  of  the  par- 
ticipation of  the  Germans  of  Georgia,  the  Carolinas,  Virginia, 
Maryland,  Delaware,  New  York  and  the  New  England  col- 
onies, as  almost  all  muster-rolls  and  other  documents  relating 
to  the  Revolutionary  War  were  lost  in  a  fire,  which  in  1  800 
destroyed  the  War  Department  at  Washington.  But  it  is  a 
well-known  fact,  that  the  Germans  were  very  numerous  in  all 
regiments  furnished  by  these  colonies. 

The  fact  that  Washington's  body-guard  was  made  up 
exclusively  of  Germans  from  Berks  and  Lancaster  Counties, 
Pa.,  furnishes  the  best  proof  of  their  entire  trustworthiness 
and  reliability.  150  strong,  they  were  commanded  by  Major 
Bartholomaeus  von  Heer,  a  former  Prussian  officer.  Jacob 
Meytinger  served  as  colonel,  and  Philipp  Struebing  and 
Johann  Nutter  as  lieutenants.  This  body-guard  accompanied 
Washington  throughout  all  the  seven  years  of  the  war, 
guarding  him  faithfully. 


In  the  spring  of  1777  the  British  made  a  supreme  effort 
to  separate  the  Northern  colonies  from  those  in  the  South,  in 
order  to  defeat  the  American  armies  more  easily.  At  this 
time  the  American  forces  held  positions  on  the  Hudson,  near 
West  Point.  To  crush  them,  the  British  planned  a  simul- 
taneous attack  from  three  different  points.  General  Burgoyne, 
with  8000  men,  was  to  swoop  down  from  the  North.  From 
the  South  a  strong  fleet  under  General  Howe  was  to  go  up 
the  Hudson  River.  From  the  West  Lieutenant-Colonel  St. 
Leger,  with  1  700  regulars  and  1 000  Indians,  was  to  clear 
the  Mohawk  Valley,  and  then  unite  at  Albany  with  Howe 
and  Burgoyne  for  concerted  action.  This  was  decidedly  the 
most  critical  time  of  the  entire  war. 

It  was  through  the  Palatines  of  the  Mohawk  Valley,  that 
the  scheme  of  the  British  was  defeated.  As  soon  as  these 
Germans  were  informed  by  some  friendly  Oneida  Indians, 
that  St.  Leger  with  his  forces  had  invaded  the  upper  part  of 
the  valley,   they  entrusted  the  protection  of  their  houses  and 

47 


families  to  the  aged  men  and  the  women,  and  marched,  800 
strong,  under  command  of  Nicolas  Herchheimer  toward  Fort 
Stanwix,  which  was  already  besieged  by  the  enemy.  The  fort, 
situated  at  the  headwaters  of  the  Mohawk  River,  had  to  be 
relieved  and  the  enemy  driven  back,  to  prevent  his  joining 
Burgoyne. 

Unfortunately  the  approach  of  the  Palatines  was  discovered 
by  the  Indian  scouts  of  the  British.  They  hurriedly  prepared 
an  ambuscade  by  placing  a  strong  body  of  sharpshooters 
and  several  hundred  Indians  in  a  densely  wooded  ravine, 
through  which  the  advancing  Palatines  must  pass.  As  soon 
as  the  unsuspecting  Germans  entered  this,  they  were  met  by 
a  terrific  volley,  accompanied  by  the  gruesome  war  cry  of 
the  redskins,  who  broke  forth  from  the  underbrush,  and  with 
hideous  yells  fell  upon  the  surprised  Palatines.  But  these, 
old  Indian  fighters,  stood  their  ground  bravely.  Repelling 
the  onslaught  they  stormed  a  hill,  where,  taking  advantage 
of  whatever  opportunity  offered  for  defense,  they  formed 
into  squads.  Herchheimer  was  one  of  the  first  to  be  wounded. 
A  bullet  smashed  his  left  leg  below  the  knee  and  killed  his 
horse.  But  not  for  an  instant  did  this  hero  lose  his  presence 
of  mind.  He  directed  his  men  to  carry  him  to  a  slight  eleva- 
tion where  he  could  overlook  the  battle.  Seated  upon  his 
saddle  and  propped  against  a  large  beech  tree,  he  calmly 
lighted  his  pipe  and  continued  to  give  his  orders.  He  thus 
animated  his  men  to  such  bravery,  that  they  resisted  every 
charge  of  the  enemy  with  dauntless  courage. 

The  conflict  increased  in  fury.  The  bulk  of  the  British 
consisted  of  "Johnson's  Greens,"  many  of  whom  had  been 
former  neighbors  and  acquaintances  of  the  Palatines,  but  who 
had  at  the  outbreak  of  the  revolution  fled  to  Canada.  Here 
they  joined  the  army  in  hope  to  take  revenge  on  those,  who 
had  compelled  them  to  leave  their  homes.  The  Palatines 
recalled  what  they  had  for  many  years  suffered  from  Tory 
arrogance  and  treachery.  And  so  the  two  opposing  parties 
were  imbued  with  such  bitter  feeling,  that  they  literally  longed 
to  get  at  each  others  throats.  The  passion  of  the  men,  who 
met  here  in  battle,  turned  the  pretty  valley  into  a  hellish 
slaughter  pen.  While  the  British  were  burning  with  a  mad 
thirst  for  revenge,  the  Palatines  fought  with  firm  resolve  to 
save  their  homes  and  families.  The  third  party  consisted  of 
wild  Indians,   raging  with  the  lust  to  kill  and  destroy. 

For  hours  and  hours  the  fierce  struggle  went  on.  German 
vigour  and  energy  stood  against  Indian  cunning  and  agility. 
So  bitter  became  the  strife,  that  even  death  itself  could  not 
separate  the  fighters.  Men  were  found  locked  in  each  other's 
arms,  a  knife  in  each  breast,  or  with  throats  cut,  in  deadly 
«embrace,  the  tenacity  of  which  bespoke  their  infernal  passion. 

In  the  heat  of  conflict  no  one  had  noticed  the  coming  of 

48 


a  thunderstorm,  which  suddenly  broke  forth  with  terrific 
violence.  The  heavy  downpor  of  the  rain,  the  howling  of 
the  wind,  the  blinding  lightning  and  the  crash  of  thunder 
made  the  fighters  stop  for  a  while.  But  as  soon  as  the  fury 
of   the  elements  had   passed,   the   grim  struggle  began  anew. 

The  pause,  however,  had  been  of  advantage  to  the  Palatines. 
Herchheimer  had  noticed  that  the  redskins  always  watched 
the  tree,  from  behind  which  a  Palatine  was  ready  to  shoot. 
As  soon  as  he  had  fired,  Indians  immediately  leaped  forward 
in  order  to  tomahawk  the  man  before  he  could  reload  his 
gun.  Herchheimer  defeated  this  game  by  posting  behind 
each  tree  two  men,  one  of  whom  stood  ready  as  soon  as  the 
other  shot.  If  now  an  Indian  exposed  himself  by  jumping 
forward,  he  was  killed  by  the  other  marksman.  By  these 
tactics  the  Indians  suffered  so  heavily  that  they  lost  all  courage 
and  fled.  When  at  the  same  time  from  the  direction  of  Fort 
Stanwix  the  roar  of  cannon  was  heard,  the  British  soldiers, 
fearing  an  attack  in  the  rear,  also  retreated  in  haste,  leaving 
the  battlefield  to  the  jubilant  Palatines.  Arriving  at  their 
camping  ground  before  Fort  Stanwix,  they  found  that  the 
American  garrison  had  made  a  sortie  and  had  captured  five 
standards,  several  guns  and  twenty  wagon-loads  of  provisions. 
Over  the  five  flags  an  improvised  American  banner,  which 
had  been  made  out  of  a  white  shirt,  a  blue  blanket  and  a 
woman's  red  petticoat,  floated  in  triumph. 

The  losses  the  Palatines  had  suffered  in  the  battle  were, 
however,  so  severe,  that  they  were  unable  to  follow  up  their 
victory.  All  the  men  of  several  families  had  been  wiped  out. 
Among  the  240  killed  were  four  Wollhoevers,  five  Bellingers, 
five  Fuchs  and  nine  of  the  Schell  family.  Almost  all  of  the 
survivors  were  wounded.  So  Fiske  in  his  "History  of  Amer- 
ican Revolution"  was  justified  in  calling  the  battle  of  Oriskany 
"the  most  obstinate  and  murderous  encounter  of  the  revolu- 
tion." 

When  the  Germans  with  their  dead  and  wounded  comrades 
returned  to  their  villages,  heartrending  lamentations  were 
heard  everywhere.  But  the  men  had  no  time  for  mourning, 
as  Fort  Stanwix  was  not  yet  relieved.  And  so  the  Palatines, 
reinforced  by  a  body  of  regulars,  who  had  arrived  in  the 
meantime,  once  more  marched  forth  against  the  British.  The 
latter,  however,  were  seized  by  a  panic.  Leaving  tents  and 
ammunition  behind,  they  hurried  back  to  Canada.  Thus  their 
junction  with  the  army  of  Burgoyne  was  frustrated. 

Released  from  this  danger,  the  Palatines  and  Americans 
could  now  throw  their  combined  forces  against  Burgoyne,  who 
had  entered  the  upper  valley  of  the  Hudson  River  and  stood 
at  Saratoga.  Here,  however,  he  was  surrounded  and  so  hard 
pressed  by  the  Americans,  that  he  was  compelled  to  surrender 
with   his  whole  army   on  October  8,    1777. 

49 


Through  these  events  the  British  campaign  became  a  com- 
plete failure.  Washington  himself  acknowledged  the  great 
services  of  the  Palatines  by  stating  that  Herchheimer  and  his 
men  had  turned  the  darkest  hour  to  one  of  brightest  prospects. 

But  alas!  Herchheimer  himself  did  not  live  to  hear  his 
appreciation.  Ten  days  after  the  battle  of  Oriskany  his  shat- 
tered leg  had  to  be  amputated.  It  was  done  by  an  incom- 
petent surgeon  in  such  unskillful  manner,  that  the  hero  bled 
to  death.  His  end  was  that  of  a  philosopher.  Feeling  his 
life  ebbing  away,  he  sat  in  his  bed,  cheerful  as  ever,  smoking 
his  pipe.  Toward  evening  he  called  for  a  Bible  and  read  to 
his  family  the  38th  Psalm.  Gradually  his  voice  grew  weaker 
until  it  died  away  altogether. 

Two  beautiful  obelisks,  one  erected  over  Herchheimer's 
grave  and  one  on  the  field  of  battle,  keep  alive  the  memory 
of  the  heroes  of  Oriskany  for  future   generations. 


In  front  of  the  City  Hall  in  Philadelphia  stands  a  monument 
erected  to  the  memory  of  Peter  Muehlenberg,  a  Lutheran 
minister,  the  same  who  in  1  775  acted  as  chairman  of  that 
memorable  mass-meeting  at  Woodstock,  Virginia,  which 
adopted  such  forceful  protests  against  British  oppression. 

When  the  war  clouds  began  to  gather,  this  minister,  not 
satisfied  with  a  written  protest,  informed  the  members  of 
his  community  of  his  intention  to  resign  —  and  that  he  would 
preach  but  once  more.  This  news  attracted  crowds  of  hearers 
from  near  and  far,  as  Muehlenberg  was  one  of  the  most  pop- 
ular ministers  of  Virginia,  In  his  forceful  sermon  he  spoke 
of  the  duties  citizens  owe  to  their  country.  In  closing  he  said : 
"There  is  a  time  for  preaching  and  praying.  But  there  is 
also  a  time  for  fighting.     Now  this  time  has  come!" 

At  the  same  moment  he  threw  off  his  clerical  garment  and 
stood  in  the  pulpit  in  the  uniform  of  a  colonel  of  the 
Continental  army.  Hailed  by  enthusiastic  outbursts  of  his 
community,  he  slowly  descended  from  the  pulpit.  Outside, 
drums  began  to  rattle.  Martial  trumpets  called  the  men  to 
the  struggle  for  freedom.  Before  the  sun  had  set,  several 
hundred  sturdy  Germans  had  enlisted  as  recruits,  resolved  to 
follow  their  minister  to  war. 

In  former  years  Muehlenberg  had  been  officer  in  a  British 
regiment.  As  he  was  acquainted  with  active  service,  he  was 
entrusted  with  the  command  of  a  regiment,  made  up  entirely 
of  Germans.  It  fought  with  great  honor  in  South  Carolina 
as  well  as  in  the  North.  Later  on,  Muehlenberg  was  promoted 
to  the  rank  of  brigadier-general.  As  such  he  distinguished 
himself  in  the  battles  of  Brandywine,  Germantown  and  Mon- 
mouth. During  the  siege  of  Yorktown  he  held  the  most 
important    positions,    captured    the    strongest   redoute    of   the 

50 


PETER  MUEHLENBERG. 
(Statue  in  front  of  the  City  Hall  at  Philadelphia,  modeled  by  J.  Otto  Schweizer). 


enemy  and  became  so  very  instrumental  in  the  fall  of  the 
fortress.  For  his  excellent  services  he  was  rewarded  with  the 
title  of  major-general.  George  Washington  counted  him  among 
his  confidential  friends. 


Having  given  due  credit  to  the  noble  services  of  that  soldier, 
it  is  not  more  than  just,  to  also  remember  the  gallant  Major- 
General  Johann  von  Kalb,  a  native  of  Bavaria.  Having 
participated  in  the  Seven  Years'  War,  he  came  to  America 
in  1777  with  Lafayette.  Appointed  as  major-general,  he 
operated  in  New  Jersey,  Maryland  and  South  Carolina  and 
was  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  experienced,  calculating  and 
cautious  officers  of  the  whole  army.  After  having  served 
most  honorably  for  three  years,  he  gave,  as  the  inscription 
on  his  monument  in  front  of  the  military  academy  in  Annapolis 
states,  "a  last  noble  demonstration  of  his  devotion  for  the 
sake  of  liberty  and  the  cause  of  America  in  the  battle  of 
Camden,  where  he,  leading  his  soldiers,  inspired  them  by  his 
example  to  deeds  of  highest  bravery."  Riddled  with  bullets, 
he  fell;  but  when  an  officer  came  to  assist  him,  he  said:  "This 
is  nothing.  I  am  dying  the  death  I  have  longed  for.  I  am 
dying  for  a  country  fighting  for  justice  and  for  liberty!"  The 
noble  man  expired  on  August   19th,    1780. 


We  cannot  take  space,  in  the  present  volume,  to  do  justice 
to  all  other  German  heroes  of  our  Revolutionary  War.  There 
was  George  Gerhard  von  der  Wieden,  a  Hanoveranian,  who 
appears  in  American  histories  under  the  name  of  Weedon. 
In  many  battles  he  fought  with  such  distinction  and  bravery, 
that  he  was  made  a  brigadier-general.  We  must  remember 
also  Colonel  Kichlein,  a  Pennsylvanian,  who,  after  the  battle 
of  Long  Island,  covered  with  his  company  Washington's 
retreat.  Of  him  and  his  gallant  soldiers  an  historian  said: 
"Long  Island  was  the  Termopylae  of  our  War  for  Independ- 
ence, and  the  German  Pennsylvanians  were  its  Spartans." 

Furthermore  there  was  Leonhard  Helm,  the  brave  defender 
of  Fort  St.  Vincennes;  also  Alexander  Gillon,  son  of  a  Hessian 
merchant  in  Charleston,  S.  C.  In  May,  1777,  this  daring  man 
fitted  out  a  vessel,  with  which  he  captured  three  British  cruisers. 
In  1  782  he  brought  together  a  squadron  and  annexed  the 
Bahama  Islands. 

It  is  not  more  than  just  to  remember  also  Michael  Hillegas, 
a  merchant  of  Philadelphia,  who  as  treasurer  of  Congress  filled 
the  most  difficult  and  trying  position  the  struggling  nation  had 
to  offer.  Without  adequate  means  to  replenish  the  funds  of 
the  Treasury,  the  Government  was  constantly  in  financial 
embarrassments,    which   the   British   successfully  increased   by 

52 


flooding  the  country  with  enormous  quantities  of  counterfeits 
of  the  paper  money  issued  by  the  American  Government. 
Hillegas,  loaded  down  with  care,  nevertheless  served  the 
country  faithfully  for  fourteen  years,  from  1775  till  1789, 
when,  at  his  request,   he  was  relieved  of  his  burden. 

Evidences  of  highest  patriotism  were  given  also  by  many 
other  non-combatant  Germans.  When  Washington's  soldiers 
were  starving,  nine  Germans  donated  $100,000  —  a  very 
large  sum  in  those  days  —  to  buy  provisions.  Also  the  Mor- 
avians, Mennonites  and  Tunker  gave  everything  they  were 
able  to  spare.  And  when  in  Philadelphia  the  motion,  to 
collect  money  to  purchase  arms,  was  negatively  debated, 
Christopher  Ludwig,  a  German  baker,  arose  and  thus  cut 
short  the  flow  of  rhetoric:  "Mr.  President,  I  am  only  a  poor 
gingerbread  baker,  but  write  me  down  for  two  hundred 
pounds."  This  same  patriot,  an  example  of  unselfishness 
and  honesty,  served  as  superintendent  of  bakers  for  a  number 
of  years. 

German  women  also  distinguished  themselves  by  true 
patriotism  and  bravery.  In  Philadelphia  Mrs.  Margarete 
Greider,  whose  maiden  name  was  Arkularius,  devoted  not 
only  1500guinees  to  the  cause  of  liberty,  but  for  several 
months  provided  the  American  soldiers  with  bread,  refusing 
to  accept  compensation  for  it. 

Every  American  knows  the  story  of  Molly  Pitcher,  who 
got  that  name  because  she  used  to  supply  the  fighting  soldiers 
with  water  brought  in  a  large  pitcher.  Born  on  October  1  3th, 
1  754,  in  New  Jersey,  she  was  of  Paletine  ancestry,  her  maiden 
name  being  Marie  Ludwig.  Her  husband,  John  Hays,  was  a 
gunner.  When  at  the  battle  of  Monmouth  he  was  wounded 
and  no  other  man  was  available  for  serving  the  cannon,  Molly 
Pitcher  took  his  place  and  helped,  during  the  most  critical 
moments,  in  loading  and  firing  with  such  dexterity,  that 
Washington,  after  the  battle,  appointed  her  to  the  rank  and 
pay    of   sergeant. 

Another  heroine  was  Elisabeth  Zane,  the  handsome  and 
vivacious  daughter  of  Colonel  Zane  (Zahn),  a  Pennsylvania 
German,  the  founder  of  Wheeling,  W.  Va.  At  the  site  of 
the  present  city,  not  far  from  Zane's  log  house,  a  fort  had 
been  erected,  which  in  1  782  was  attacked  by  a  band  of  40 
British  soldiers  and  186  Indians.  The  defenders  of  the  fort 
held  out  bravely,  but  their  number  decreased  from  42  to  12. 
Besides,  the  situation  became  critical,  as  the  supply  of  powder 
was  running  dangerously  low.  There  was  a  full  keg  of  powder 
hidden  in  Zane's  log  house,  but  to  get  it,  a  distance  of  about 
sixty  yards  must  be  traversed,  which  was  covered  by  the  guns 
of  the  enemy.  When  volunteers  were  called,  to  procure  the 
powder,  Elisabeth  Zane  stepped  forward,  insisting  she  be  sent, 

53 


as  no  man  in  the  fort  could  be  spared,  while  a  girl  would  not 
be  missed.  Refusing  to  listen  to  any  objection,  she  slipped 
out  of  the  gate,  as  though  there  were  no  redskins  in  the  whole 
world.  The  Indians,  not  knowing  the  reason  of  her  stroll, 
let  her  pass  without  interfering.  Not  till  the  young  heroine 
reappeared,  carrying  the  keg  under  a  table  cloth,  did  the 
Indians  realize  the  meaning  of  the  girl's  mission  and  at  once 
opened  a  brisk  fire  on  her.  But  the  girl  sped  with  the  fleetness 
of  a  fawn  and  reached  the  fort  in  safety  amid  a  shower  of 
bullets,  several  of  which  passed  through  her  clothes.  By  this 
daring  act  the  little  garrison  was  enabled  to  hold  out,  until 
relief  arrived. 

We  cannot  close  this  chapter  without  mentioning  also  the 
brave  Johann  Christian  Schell  and  his  wife.  These  two 
Palatines  with  their  six  sons  occupied  a  lonely  log  house  three 
miles  northeast  of  the  present  city  of  Herkimer,  in  the  Mohawk 
Valley.  In  August  1  781  Schell,  while  at  work  with  his  family 
in  the  field,  was  attacked  by  1  6  Tories  and  48  Indians,  who 
succeeded  in  capturing  two  of  the  younger  sons,  while  Schell, 
together  with  his  wife  and  the  four  elder  sons  were  able  to 
reach  the  house.  Here  they  were  besieged  for  the  rest  of  the 
day,  but  defended  their  home  so  successfully,  that  the  enemy 
did  not  dare  to  come  near.  In  the  dusk  of  the  evening,  how- 
ever, the  Indians  crept  up  toward  the  house  to  force  an 
entrance.  The  captain  of  the  raiding  party,  McDonald,  suc- 
ceeded in  reaching  the  door,  which  he  attempted  to  pry  open 
with  a  lever.  But  he  was  shot  in  the  leg  and  sank  to  the 
ground.  Quick  as  lightning  Schell  unbolted  the  door  and 
dragged  the  wounded  man  into  the  house,  thus  saving  the 
house  from  being  set  fire  to,  for  the  leader  of  the  attacking 
party  within,   would   likewise  perish   in   the   flames. 

While  the  enemies  held  council,  what  next  to  do,  the  brave 
Palatine  and  his  family  prepared  for  the  next  assault.  Getting 
their  rifles  ready,  they  began  to  sing  the  famous  battle  hymn 
of  the  Reformation,  "A  mighty  fortress  is  our  God."  Just 
when   they  had   finished   the  verse 

"Und  wenn  die  Welt  voll  Teufel  war', 
Und    wollt'    uns   gar    verschlingen, 
So   fiirchten   wir   uns   nicht  so   sehr, 
Es   muss   uns   doch   gelingen!" 
the  marauders  jumped  up  to  the  walls  of  the  house  and  pushed 
their  guns  through  the  loop  holes,  to  drive  the  men  inside  from 
their  positions. 

Seeing  the  danger,  Mrs.  Schell  seized  an  axe,  and  beat  the 
gun-barrels  so  that  they  bent  and  became  useless.  At  the  same 
time  Schell  and  his  boys  delivered  so  many  effective  shots, 
that  the  enemy  soon  withdrew  for  good,  having  suffered  a 
loss   of   eleven   killed   and   twelve  wounded   seriously. 

54 


Friedrich    Wilhelm    von    Steuben,    the 
Organizer  of  the  American  Army. 

The  winter  of  1777  to  1778  was  the  darkest  time  in  the 
military  career  of  George  Washington.  His  troops  had 
been  defeated  at  Brandywine  and  Germantown;  Philadelphia 
had  been  captured  by  the  British,  who  also  held  control  over 
the  Delaware  River.  The  American  army,  counting  less  than 
5000  starving  and  discouraged  men,  had  taken  refuge  in  the 
dreadful  winter  quarters  at  Valley  Forge.  Here  they  lived  in 
destitution  and  in  rags.  And  there  were  literally  no  supplies, 
as  the  Board  of  War  had  failed  completely  to  provide  them. 

When  the  distress  seemed  deepest,  there  appeared  a  man, 
who  proved  to  be  the  most  valuable  help,  which  the  colonies 
received  in  their  struggle  for  freedom:  Baron  Friedrich 
Wilhelm  von  Steuben. 

A  descendant  of  a  noble  military  family  of  Prussia,  Steuben 
had  led  a  soldier's  life  since  his  fourteenth  year.  Reared  in 
the  rigorous  military  school  of  Frederick  the  Great,  he  had 
taken  actual  part  in  many  battles  of  the  Seven  Years'  War 
and  had  not  only  become  an  officer  of  distinction,  but  also 
the  personal  aide  of  the  king.  In  this  position  he  had  enjoyed 
exceptional  opportunities  to  familiarize  himself  with  all  ques- 
tions pertaining  to  warfare,  with  the  drilling  and  training 
of  soldiers;  with  the  important  tasks  of  providing  for  and 
equipping  the  troops;  of  securing  and  caring  for  arms  and 
ammunition,  their  inspection  and  control.  Recognizing  his 
great  abilities,  King  Frederick  distinguished  Steuben  by 
bestowing  on  him  decorations  of  high  order. 

When  the  Seven  Years'  War  was  over,  Steuben  quitted  the 
King's  service  and  accepted  the  position  as  Court  marshal  to 
the  Prince  of  Hohenzollern  Hechingen.  While  on  a  visit  to 
Paris,  he  became  acquainted  with  Benjamin  Franklin,  the 
American  emissary  to  France,  who  among  other  functions 
had  the  special  commission  to  secure,  if  possible,  the  service 
of  such  able  European  officers,  who  might  be  useful  to  the 
American  cause.  This  question  was  of  greatest  importance, 
as  the  American  army  consisted  only  of  volunteers  and  militia 
men,  who,  while  they  were  able  Indian  fighters,  had,  however, 
no  training  in  regular  warfare.  For  this  reason  they  had  been 
defeated  by  the  well  organized  British  soldiers  in  all  open 
battles     As    decisive    results    could    be    gained    only    in    such 

55 


MAJOR-GENERAL   VON   STEUBEN. 
(Statue  in  Washington,  D.   C,  modeled  by  Albert  Jaegers). 


battles,  it  was  an  absolute  necessity  to  put  the  army  in  such 
condition  that  it  could  risk  challenging  their  opponents  in  the 
open  field.  But  as  the  Americans  had  no  experts  in  the  science 
of  war,   they  had  to  turn  to  Europe  for  trained  officers. 

The  army  of  Frederick  the  Great  was  regarded  as  the  most 
exemplary  in  existence  and  as  the  model  for  all  others.  For 
these  reasons  Franklin,  assisted  by  the  French  Secretary  of 
War,  eagerly  tried  to  secure  Steuben's  service  for  the  Amer- 
ican cause.  To  their  great  joy  they  did  not  require  much 
persuasion.  Steuben  had  followed  the  struggle  of  the  Amer- 
icans for  independence  with  great  interest  and  heartfelt  sym- 
pathy. How  strongly  the  cause  of  the  Americans  had  appealed 
to  him,  appears  from  the  letter,  in  which  he  after  his  arrival 
in  America  offered  his  services  to  Congress.  Belonging  to  the 
noblest  documents  of  those  heroic  times,  it  reads  as  follows: 
"Honorable  Gentlemen!  The  honor  of  serving  a  nation, 
engaged  in  defending  its  rights  and  liberties,  was  the  only 
motive  that  brought  me  to  this  continent.  I  ask  neither  riches 
nor  titles.  I  am  come  here  from  the  remotest  end  of  Germany, 
at  my  own  expense,  and  have  given  up  honorable  and  lucra- 
tive rank.  I  have  made  no  condition  with  your  deputies  in 
France,  nor  shall  I  make  any  with  you.  My  own  ambition 
is  to  serve  you  as  a  volunteer,  to  deserve  the  confidence  of 
your  general  in  chief,  and  to  follow  him  in  all  his  operations, 
as  I  have  done  during  the  seven  campaignes  with  the  King 
of  Prussia.  Two  and  twenty  years  spent  in  such  a  school 
seem  to  give  me  the  right  of  thinking  myself  among  the 
number  of  experienced  officers,  and  if  I  am  possessed  of  the 
acquirements  in  the  art  of  war,  they  will  be  more  prized  by 
me,  if  I  can  employ  them  in  the  service  of  a  republic  such 
as  I  hope  to  see  America  soon.  I  should  willingly  purchase 
at  the  expense  of  my  blood  the  honor  of  having  my  name 
enrolled  among  those  of  the  defenders  of  your  liberty.  Your 
gracious  acceptance  will  be  sufficient  for  me,  and  I  ask  no 
other  favor  than  to  be  received  among  your  officers.  I  venture 
to  hope  that  you  will  grant  this,  my  request,  and  that  you 
will  be  so  good  as  to  send  me  your  orders  to  Boston,  where 
I  shall  await  them  and  take  suitable  measures  in  accordance." 

Congress  was  only  too  glad  to  secure  the  services  of  such 
a  distinguished  soldier,  who  was  actuated  by  such  noble 
motives.  And  when  Steuben  arrived  at  Washington's  head- 
quarters, he  was  at  once  appointed  inspector-general  of  the 
army. 

To  transform  that  "army,"  which  he  found  in  the  winter 
quarters  at  Valley  Forge,  into  an  efficient  fighting  machine, 
was,  however,  the  most  desperate  task  any  drillmaster  had 
ever  undertaken.  The  Americans,  backwoodsmen  most  of 
them,  although  accomplished  Indian  fighters,  had  yet  no  notion 
of  military  tactics,  movements  or  discipline.     To  make  matters 

57 


still  worse,  the  whole  camp  was  one  chaos  of  confusion  and 
dissatisfaction.  Steuben  found  one  regiment  that  had  only 
thirty  men,  and  one  company  consisting  of  only  one  corporal. 
As  the  recruits  enlisted  for  six  or  nine  months  only,  there  was 
constant  coming  and  going.  Furloughs  and  discharges  were 
granted  by  officers  without  the  knowledge  of  their  superiors. 
The  officers  did  not  stay  in  camp  with  the  troops,  but  lived 
apart,  sometimes  several  miles  away.  Proper  administration 
did  not  exist.  No  one  kept  records  or  accounts  except  the 
contractors  who  provided  the  army  with  different  articles, 
and  made  bills  to  suit  themselves.  The  troops  were  almost 
naked.  The  very  fewest  officers  possessed  uniforms,  and  these 
were  of  any  kind  and  color.  At  a  "dress  parade"  Steuben 
saw  several  officers  in  gowns,  made  from  old  woolen  blankets 
and  bed  spreads. 

To  increase  the  difficulties  of  the  Americans,  the  British  had 
by  counterfeiting  the  paper  money,  issued  by  Congress,  suc- 
ceeded in  bringing  paper  money  in  such  discredit,  that  forty 
paper  dollars  were  equal  to  one  silver  dollar.  Four  hundred 
to  six  hundred  dollars  were  asked  for  a  pair  of  boots,  and 
it  took  a  month's  pay  of  the  common  soldier  to  buy  a 
square   meal. 

All  these  facts  must  be  recalled  in  order  to  appreciate  at 
its  full  value  Steuben's  great  sacrifice  in  accepting  the  position 
offered  to  him  and  remaining  at  such  a  post.  No  soldier  of 
fortune  out  for  pecuniary  gain  or  other  advantage  could  have 
been  induced  to  face  a  situation  which  promised  nothing  but 
failure. 

Steuben,  however,  did  not  shrink  from  the  difficult  task 
of  bringing  order  out  of  the  chaos.  Selecting  120  of  the  best 
men,  he  provided  them  with  like  uniforms  and  weapons,  so 
that  they  appeared  like  real  soldiers.  These  men  he  drilled 
in  the  presence  of  the  whole  army  personally  twice  daily. 
From  easy  exercises  he  gradually  went  to  more  difficult  ones, 
until  they  had  become  acquainted  with  all  movements,  which 
had  helped  the  Prussian  army  to  so  many  amazing  victories. 

These  exercises  were  a  source  of  astonishment  and  wonder 
to  the  American  officers  and  troops.  But  they  very  quickly 
grasped  their  importance,  as  they  became  aware,  that  their 
former  defeats  were  due  to  their  inability  to  sustain  a  contest 
against  the  organized  English  soldiers.  Then,  by  placing  his 
men  as  drillmasters  at  the  head  of  smaller  divisions,  Steuben 
within  a  few  months  infused  the  whole  army  with  a  sense  of 
discipline  and  order.  Thus  giving  confidence  to  the  officers 
and  men,  and  enabling  the  troops  from  different  parts  of  the 
country  to  act  together  with  unanimity  and  effect,  he  made 
the  army  into  an  efficient  fighting  machine. 

At  the  same  time  Steuben  introduced  a  rigid  system  of 
inspection.      By  holding  every  man  responsible  for  his  arms, 

58 


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ammunition  and  outfit,  by  insisting  on  strict  accounting  for 
everything  ordered  and  delivered  for  the  army,  he  put  an  end 
to  graft  and  frauds  and  general  dishonesty.  And  so  he  saved 
the  nation  vast  expense  at  a  time,  when  her  very  existence 
depended  on   economy  in  the  army. 

The  results  of  the  many  improvements,  enforced  by  Steuben, 
became  apparent  in  the  spring  and  summer  of  the  following 
year,  first  in  the  fights  at  Barren  Hill  and  Stony  Point,  and 
later  in  the  battle  of  Monmouth.  At  the  latter  place  the 
Americans,  through  the  incompetence  or  treachery  of  General 
Lee,  were  almost  defeated,  when  Washington  and  Steuben, 
informed  of  the  situation,  appeared  on  the  battlefield.  Wash- 
ington took  command,  and  ordered  Steuben  to  collect  the 
fleeing  troops  behind  the  line  of  battle  and  lead  them  back 
again.  Steuben  performed  this  difficult  task  so  splendidly  and 
so  rapidly,  that  the  day  was  saved  for  the  cause  of  liberty  and 
ended  with  the  retreat  of  the  enemy.  Colonel  Alexander 
Hamilton,  who  was  an  eye  witness,  declared  that  he  then 
for  the  first  time  became  aware  of  the  overwhelming  import- 
ance of  military  training  and  discipline.  The  greatest  success, 
however,  was,  that  Steuben's  system  of  reviews,  reports  and 
inspections  imbued  the  officers  as  well  as  the  soldiers  with  the 
confidence,  that  from  now  they  were  on  equal  footing  with 
the  armies  of  the  enemy. 

When  winter  set  in  again,  interrupting  military  operations, 
Steuben  wrote  his  famous  "Regulations  for  the  Order  and 
Discipline  of  the  Troops  of  the  United  States,"  a  handbook 
which  in  25  chapters  embodied  everything  necessary  in  con- 
nection with  troops,  their  weapons,  exercises,  marching,  camp- 
ing, mancevering,  signal  service,  inspection,  aid  and  treatment 
of  the  sick  and  wounded.  This  invaluable  book  remained 
in  use  for  a  long  time  after  Steuben's  death,  until  new  inven- 
tions and  new  conditions  in  the  mode  of  warfare  made  changes 
necessary. 

In  Washington's  Council  of  War  Steuben  was  the  most 
influential  person.  It  was  he  who  worked  out  the  plans  for 
the  campaigns,  which  were  followed  almost  to  the  letter. 

It  is  only  natural  that  Steuben  should  desire  to  take  in  these 
campaigns  active  part  also,  and  thereby  win  yet  greater  fame. 
He  would  not  be  merely  the  drillmaster  of  the  troops,  but 
wished  to  lead  them  personally  in  battle.  Washington  granted 
this  request  several  times,  and  so  Steuben  operated  successfully 
as  commander  of  large  armies  in  the  South.  His  greatest 
triumph  he  earned  in  1781  at  Yorktown,  the  fortress  into 
which  the  British  General  Cornwallis  had  retreated  with 
his  army.  As  Steuben  was  the  only  American  general  who  had 
previously  participated  in  the  siege  of  fortresses,  he  made  the 
plans  for  the  Yorktown  campaign,  during  which  he  as  com- 
mander of  the  troops  of  Pennsylvania,  Maryland  and  Virginia 

60 


occupied  the  center  of  the  American  army.  When  Cornwallis 
raised  the  white  flag  of  surrender,  Steuben's  regiments  held 
the  most  advanced  trenches.  And  so  it  happened  that  the 
commander  of  the  last  British  army  handed  his  capitulation 
to  a  German.  Washington  in  his  army  order  of  the  following 
day  specially  mentioned  that  to  the  gallant  Steuben  belonged 
a  great  part  of  the  credit  of  victory. 

How  much  Washington  appreciated  his  comrade  in  arms, 
appears  also  from  a  letter,  the  very  last  document  Washington 
wrote  before  resigning  his  commission  as  Commander-in-Chief 
of  the  American  Army.      It  reads  as  follows: 

Annapolis,    Deer.    23d.     1783. 
"My   dear   Baron! 

Although  I  have  taken  frequent  opportunities  both  in  public 
and  private,  of  acknowledging  your  zeal,  attention  and  abil- 
ities in  performing  the  duties  of  your  office,  yet  I  wish  to  make 
use  of  this  last  moment  of  my  public  life  to  signify  in  the 
strongest  terms  my  entire  approbation  of  your  conduct,  and 
to  express  my  sense  of  the  obligations  the  public  is  under  to 
you   for   your   faithful   and   meritorious   service. 

I  beg  you  will  be  convinced,  my  dear  Sir,  that  I  should 
rejoice  if  it  could  ever  be  in  my  power  to  serve  you  more 
essentially  than  by  expressions  of  regard  and  affection.  But 
in  the  meantime  I  am  persuaded  you  will  not  be  displeased 
with  this  farewell  token  of  my  sincere  friendship  and  esteem 
for  you. 

This  is  the  last  letter  I  shall  ever  write  while  I  continue 
in  the  service  of  my  country.  The  hour  of  my  resignation  is 
fixed  at  twelve  this  day,  after  which  I  shall  become  a  private 
citizen  on  the  banks  of  the  Potomac,  where  I  shall  be  glad  to 
embrace  you,  and  testify  the  great  esteem  and  consideration, 
with  which  I  am,  my  dear  Baron,  your  most  obedient  and 
affectionate  servant 

GEORGE  WASHINGTON." 

After  peace  had  been  secured,  Congress  considered  Steu- 
ben's services  too  valuable  to  discharge  him.  Remaining  in 
his  office,  Steuben  worked  out  the  plans  for  the  establishment 
of  a  standing  army  of  25,000  men  and  for  the  founding  of  a 
Military  Academy  for  the  education  and  training  of  officers. 
Both  recommendations  were  adopted  by  Congress.  The 
academy,  suggested  by  Steuben,  is  West  Point,  on  the  Hudson, 
which  has  given  to  the  United  States  so  many  able  com- 
manders. 

So  Steuben  was  in  fact  the  father  of  the  American  Army, 
and  if  history  honors  Washington  as  the  leading  spirit  of  the 

61 


war  for  independence,  then  Steuben  was  the  strong  arm,  that 
enabled  him  to  strike,  and  to  lead  his  troops  to  victory. 

The  American  nation  did  not  hesitate  to  express  to  Steuben 
appreciation  and  gratitude.  Congress  presented  him  with  a 
gold-hilted  sword  of  honor,  and  the  States  of  New  York,  New 
Jersey,  Pennsylvania  and  Virginia  donated  him  with  valuable 
grants  of  land. 

During  his  last  years  Steuben  lived  in  New  York,  making 
a  summer  home  of  his  farm  in  Oneida  County  and  occupying 
his   time   with   agricultural   pursuits  and   scientific   studies. 

Shortly  after  his  sixty-fourth  birthday  this  noble  warrior  was 
suddenly  stricken  and  died  on  November  28,    1  794. 

On  Oneida's  heights,  in  an  old  forest  reservation,  rest  the 
mortal  remains  of  the  gallant  soldier,  whose  memory  will  be 
held  sacred,  as  long  as  defenders  of  liberty  shall  arise,  as 
long  as  American  life  and  liberty  shall  exist. 


STEUBEN'S    TOMB    IN    ONEIDA    COUNTY. 


Pioneers  of  the  Ohio  Region. 

As  is  well  known,  the  fur  trade  was  during  the  1  7th  and 
1 8th  centuries  one  of  the  chief  resources  of  the  European 
colonies  of  North  America.  Giving  subsistence  to  many 
thousand  people  it  brought  about  not  only  the  founding  of 
numerous  trading  stations,  but  resulted  also  in  originating 
special  types  of  men,  characteristic  of  America:  the  trappers, 
voyageurs   and    traders. 

Men  more  daring  have  never  existed.  Mostly  alone,  some- 
times in  pairs  or  small  troups  they  penetrated  on  foot  or  by 
canoe  the  unknown  interior  of  our  continent,  following  the 
rivers  or  narrow  trails  of  wild  animals  and  Indians. 

The  life  of  these  fearless  pioneers  of  civilization  was  an 
unbroken  chain  of  hardships  and  dangers.  Frequently  they 
were  compelled  to  cut  a  way  through  the  dense  underwood 
by  means  of  their  hatchets,  or  they  had  to  wade  through 
dismal  swamps,  or  swim  across  foaming  rivers.  They  faced 
encounters  with  ferocious  beasts  and  venomous  reptiles.  They 
had  to  bear  hunger  and  thirst,  depressing  heat  in  summer 
time,  and  bitter  frost  in  winter.  When  entering  the  domains 
of  hostile  tribes,  they  could  not  dare  to  break  their  lonesome- 
ness  with  a  happy  song,  or  to  kindle  a  warming  fire,  as  this 
might  attract  the  enemies  most  to  be  apprehended,  the  red- 
skins, who  hated  these  trappers,  not  only  because  they  were 
of  another  race  but  also  because  they  looked  upon  them  as 
intruders  on  their  hunting  grounds. 

Woe  to  those  unfortunate  men  who  fell  into  the  hands  of 
these  savages.  With  rare  exceptions  they  had  to  breathe  their 
last  at  the  stake,  under  fearful  tortures,  such  as  could  be 
invented  only  by  the  brains  of  enemies  full  of  hatred  and 
without   mercy. 

Among  the  hardy  men,  who  bravely  defied  such  hardships 
and  dangers,  were  many  Germans.  From  the  valley  of  the 
Mohawk  River  they  invaded  the  countries  south  of  the  Great 
Lakes.  By  crossing  the  Alleghany  Mountains  they  came  from 
Eastern  Pennsylvania  and  explored  the  valleys  of  the  Ohio 
and  its  tributaries.  From  Virginia  and  Carolina  they  entered 
the  wilderness  of  Kentucky  and  Tennessee. 

One  of  the  most  noted  of  these  heroic  "Dutchmen"  — so 
the  Germans  were  called  by  the  English  after  their  own 
denomination  "Deutsche" — was  Konrad  Weiser.  Born  in 
the  Palatinate,  he  came  as  a  boy  with  the  great  influx  of  the 
Palatines    to    New   York    in    1710    and   was   among   the   poor 

63 


fugitives,  who  escaped  the  maltreatment  of  Livingston  by 
moving  to  the  Schoharie  Valley. 

In  steady  contact  with  the  friendly  Mohawk  Indians  Weiser, 
then  a  lad  of  sixteen,  developed  so  much  liking  for  their  mode 
of  life,  for  nature  and  adventure,  that  he,  with  the  consent  of 
his  father,  accepted  an  invitation  by  Chief  Quagnant,  to  live 
with  him  in  his  camp  and  learn  the  Mohawk  language.  In  a 
short  time  he  acquired  such  knowledge  of  the  several  dialects 
of  the  Iroquois,  that  he  was  able  to  act  as  an  interpreter  in 
all  councils  of  importance  held  between  the  chiefs  and  the 
representatives  of  the  Government.  As  he  observed  strictest 
impartiality,  he  won  the  confidence  of  the  Indians  in  such 
degree,  that  they  insisted  always  on  his  mediation,  declining 
to  participate  in  any  negotiations  where  he  was  not  present. 

In  1  737,  when  a  destructive  war  between  the  Iroquois  and 
the  Cherokees  and  Catawbas  was  imminent,  Weiser  was  sent 
by  the  Governors  of  Pennsylvania  and  Virginia  to  persuade 
the  different  tribes  to  keep  the  peace.  Directing  his  efforts 
to  that  end,  Weiser  acted  with  such  prudence,  that  hostilities 
were  averted,  enabling  those  counties,  which  would  have 
served  as  the  battleground,  to  develop  peacefully. 

The  most  valuable  service  Weiser  rendered  during  the  wars 
against  the  French,  when  the  latter  through  their  agents  made 
great  efforts  to  persuade  the  Iroquois  to  join  in  their  raids 
against  the  British  colonies.  As  the  British  had  cheated  the 
Indians  of  large  tracts  of  land  and  had  committed  also  many 
other  offenses  against  them,  the  Iroquois  were  in  bad  spirits, 
and  with  the  probability  that  the  French  agents  might  succeed, 
the  situation  was  very  threatening.  It  was  then,  that  Weiser 
was  sent  out  to  appease  the  bitter  feeling  of  the  Indians.  Trav- 
elling for  many  months  through  unbroken  wildernesses,  he 
visited  one  tribe  after  another,  with  the  result  that  the  Iroquois 
not  only  kept  away  from  the  French,  but  entered  into  an 
alliance  with  the  English  colonies. 

During  the  French  wars  of  1  745,  1  748  and  1  754  Weiser 
gave  also  many  proofs  of  his  loyalty  and  heroism.  But  the 
countless  hardships,  suffered  by  him  during  his  numerous  expe- 
ditions into  the  wilderness,  consumed  his  strength.  He  died 
in  1  760,  the  sunset  of  his  life  brightened  by  the  fact  that  the 
French  rule  in  North  America  had  met  a  complete  break- 
down in  the  battle  at  Quebec. 

The  old  chronicles  of  New  York,  Pennsylvania  and  Ohio 
contain  the  names  of  many  other  German  trappers  and  traders. 
Martin  Hertel  erected  in  1  739  a  trading  station  at  the  same 
place,  where  now  the  city  of  Toledo  stands.  Two  German 
Poles,  Jacob  and  Joseph  Sodowsky,  established  in  1  728  at 
the  southern  shore  of  Lake  Erie  a  trading  station,  which  was 
the  beginning  of  the  present  city  Sandusky,  whose  name,  with 
slight  alteration,   preserves  the  memory  of  her  founders.     Of 

64 


Jacob  Sodowsky  it  is  said,  that  he  was  the  first  man  from  the 
British  colonies,  who  paddled  in  a  canoe  down  the  Ohio  River 
into  the  Mississippi  and  followed  the  seemingly  interminable 
course  of  the  "Father  of  the  Waters"  all  the  way  to  New 
Orleans. 

Enterprising  men  of  like  character  were  Thomas  Mehrlin 
and  Johann  Sailing.      In    1  740  these  two  built  at  the  head- 


A  PIONEER  OF  THE  WILDERNESS. 


waters  of  the  Ohio  a  boat,  on  which  they  travelled  down  the 
river.  One  day,  however,  they  were  intercepted  by  a  band 
of  Cherokee  Indians.  While  Mehrlin  made  good  his  escape, 
Sailing  was  captured  and  taken  to  the  village  of  the  band. 
He   was   not   killed,    but   was   made   a   member   of   the   tribe. 

65 


Painted  and  dressed  like  one  of  them,  Sailing  accompanied 
the  Cherokees  on  many  of  their  war  parties,  until  he  was  cap- 
tured by  the  Illinois  Indians  and  brought  to  Kaskaskia,  to  be 
tortured  at  the  stake.  An  old  squaw,  however,  who  had  lost 
her  only  son,  came  forward,  adopted  him  and  so  saved  him 
from  a  terrible  death.  Afterwards,  when  the  Illinois  met  a 
caravan  of  Spanish  traders,  Sailing  was  sold  and  travelled  in 
their  company  through  Arkansas  and  Texas  to  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico.  Later  on  he  was  captured  by  the  French,  who  brought 
him  to  Canada.  Here  he  was  set  free,  and,  after  an  absence 
of  many  years,  he  managed  to  reach  his  former  home  in 
Virginia.  — 

It  was  in  1  748,  when  traders  of  Virginia  formed  the  Ohio 
Company,  which  received  a  royal  grant  of  half  a  million  acres 
between  the  Monongahela  and  the  Kanawha  Rivers  on 
condition  of  settling  this  territory.  To  explore  this  grant  the 
company  dispatched  another  trapper  of  German  descent, 
Christopher  Gist  or  Geist,  to  find  a  pass  leading  into  the 
unknown  country.  At  the  same  time  he  was  to  draw  a  map 
of  it  and  spy  out  the  strength  of  the  different  Indian  tribes 
inhabiting  the  valley  of  the  Ohio. 

Gist  went  on  his  dangerous  errand  in  October,  1  750,  first 
crossing  the  Blue  Ridge  and  the  valley  of  the  Shenandoah. 
After  traversing  the  snow-covered  Alleghany  Mountains,  he 
entered  the  hunting  grounds  of  the  Ottawa  Indians,  who 
respected  him  as  a  messenger  of  the  king  of  England,  but 
otherwise  treated  him  very  coolly  as  they  were  leaning  toward 
the  French.  Later  on  Gist  visited  also  the  Wyandots,  Dela- 
wares,  Shawnees  and  Miamis  and  induced  them  to  sent  emis- 
saries to  a  great  council,  which  took  place  in  June,  1  752,  at 
Logstown,  an  Indian  village  near  the  present  state  line  between 
Ohio  and  Pennsylvania.  Gist,  Colonel  Frey  and  two  other 
Virginians  represented  at  this  council  the  Ohio  Company, 
which  was  eager  to  have  its  title  acknowledged  by  the  Indian 
tribes.  But  the  redskins,  anxious  of  their  own  future,  could 
not  be  persuaded  to  assent  to  these  wishes.  "The  English," 
so  they  objected,  "claim  all  territory  on  the  left  banks  of  the 
Ohio  River;  the  Frenchmen  demand  everything  on  the  other 
side.  Now,  what  will  be  left  to  the  Indians?  Raising  this 
question  they  refused  to  sign  any  treaty. 

Another  German  pioneer  of  the  wilderness  was  Georg 
Jaeger  or  Yaeger,  known  also  by  his  nickname  "the  long 
Dutchman."  As  a  boy  he  was  captured  by  a  band  of  maraud- 
ing Indians  in  Pennsylvania  and  brought  to  Kentucky,  where 
he  roamed  extensively  in  company  with  the  redskins.  In  1771 
he  met  at  the  Kanawha  River  Simon  Kenton,  the  future  hero 
of  the  Ohio  Valley,  and  George  Strader  or  Straeter,  the  latter 
most  probably  a  Pennsylvania  German.  Together  these  three 
proceeded  down  the  Ohio  as  far  as  the  mouth  of  the  Kentucky 

66 


River,  in  search  of  some  rich  cane-land,  Jaeger  had  seen  dur- 
ing one  of  his  former  voyages.  Some  time  afterward  Jaeger 
was  killed  by  Indians. 

Michael  Steiner  or  Stoner  was  the  name  of  one  of  the  first 
pioneers  of  Tennessee.  Kasper  Mansker  belonged  to  a  party, 
which  in  1  769  set  out  from  North  Carolina  for  a  hunting 
expedition  into  the  western  regions.  Attracted  by  the  beauty 
of  the  country  and  its  abundance  in  game  the  party  forgot 
almost  to  return  and  stayed  for  over  a  year.  For  this  reason 
the  members  were  called  "the  long  hunters."  Mansker  was 
known  as  a  never-erring  marksman.  The  report  of  his  rifle 
haunted  his  foes  like  a  message  of  doom.  And  in  imitating 
the  many  different  sounds  of  beasts  and  birds  he  surpassed 
any  Indian. 

A  similar  son  of  the  forests  was  Michael  Schuck.  When 
he  was  a  boy,  his  parents,  brothers  and  sisters  were  killed 
by  Indians.  Left  alone  in  the  wilderness,  he  was  put  on  his 
own  wits.  Gifted  with  the  instinct  of  a  panther  and  the  keen 
eyes  of  an  eagle,  the  boy  grew  to  a  mighty  hunter,  command- 
ing enormous  strength.  All  the  forests  between  the  Alleghanies 
and  the  Mississippi  were  his  domain.  In  his  later  years, 
when  his  hair,  which  used  to  fall  in  long  black  tresses  over 
his  shoulders,  had  turned  white  as  snow,  he  moved  to  Missouri, 
in  whose  unknown  interior  all  further  traces  of  him  were  lost. 

Other  noted  trappers  and  Indian  fighters  of  German  origin 
were  Georg  Rufner,  Friedrich  Behrle,  Daniel  Bolaus,  Peter 
Nieswanger,  Johann  Adam  Hartmann,  Johann  Warth  and 
William  Wells. 

The  most  famous  of  all,  however,  was  Ludwig  Wetzel,  the 
son  of  Johann  Wetzel,  a  Palatine  and  one  of  the  first  settlers 
in  West  Virginia.  One  day,  a  band  of  Indians  attacked  the 
house,  killing  the  father  and  several  other  members  of  the 
family,  and  taking  two  of  the  boys  prisoners.  During  one 
of  the  following  nights  the  boys  managed  to  escape.  Reaching 
home,  they  found  nothing  but  the  charred  ruins  of  the  log 
house,  and  in  its  ashes  the  mutilated  and  scalped  bodies  of 
their  father  and  sisters.  Raving  with  mad  desire  for  revenge, 
Ludwig  swore  to  kill  every  Indian  he  could  seize.  And  never 
was  a  vow  more  faithfully  kept  than  his.  Devoting  his  whole 
life  to  the  one  thought  of  retaliation  he  became  one  of  the 
most  feared  Indian-fighters  of  the  1 8th  century.  Accounts 
of  his  marvellous  adventures  and  escapes  fill  many  chapters 
of  the  old  chronicles  of  West  Virginia  and  Ohio.  It  is  said 
that  more  Indians  were  slain  by  his  hand  than  were  killed  by 
either  one  of  the  two  large  armies  of  Braddock  and  St.  Clair 
during  their  disastrous  campaigns. 

Wetzel's  ferocity  toward  the  redskins  became  at  times  a 
source  of  great  trouble  to  the  government,  which,  having  con- 
cluded treaties  of  peace  with  the  Indians,  had  the  greatest 
difficulties  in  getting  Wetzel  to  discontinue  his  relentless  war- 

67 


fare  against  the  redskins,  and  finally  was  obliged  to  secure 
peace  by  confining  him  in  prison.  But  Wetzel  managed  to 
escape. 

When  captured  a  second  time,  numerous  frontiersmen  of 
Ohio  enforced  his  release  by  the  threat,  that  they  would  wipe 
the  fort,  wherein  Wetzel  was  imprisoned,  from  the  face  of 
the  earth  unless  Wetzel  was  liberated.  As  there  were  no 
indictments  against  him,  and  no  witnesses  to  prove  that  he 
had  killed  the  Indians,  and  as  it  was  unlawful  to  force  him 
to  incriminate  himself,  he  was  set  free. 

Unfitted  for  any  settled  mode  of  life  and  tired  at  the 
prospect  of  a  monotonous  peace,  Wetzel  went  to  the  Spanish 
territories  at  the  lower  Mississippi  River.  After  many  adven- 
tures he  died  near  Natchez,  having  been  one  of  the  most 
notable  representatives  of  those  trappers  and  Indian  fighters, 
who  took  part  in  the  long  and  bitter  struggle  for  the  valley 
of  the  Ohio  River. 

In  time  these  daring  pioneers  were  followed  by  the  back- 
woodsmen, a  peculiar  product  of  American  growth.  These 
men  were,  as  S.  A.  Drake  has  described  them,  "the  result  of 
continued  expansion  of  territory,  but  never  the  voluntary 
agents  of  civilization.  They  were  like  the  foam  blown  from 
the  crest  of  its  ever-advancing  wave.  Recluses  of  choice  and 
having  no  higher  aspiration  than  to  live  apart,  they  made  in 
the  dense  forest  little  clearings,  where  they  built  rude  cabins 
and  lived  by  hunting.  Hanging  on  the  skirts  of  civilization, 
but  scorning  to  become  part  of  it,  they  shouldered  their  rifles 
and  packs  and  without  regret  left  the  home,  scarcely  made, 
as  soon  as  they  felt  the  approach  of  fellow  men." 

Behind  these  restless  backwoodsmen,  like  a  vanguard  of 
an  army  taking  the  field,  came  the  emigrants.  The  tread  of 
their  oxen,  the  print  of  their  wagon-wheels  followed  close  in 
the  blazed  footpath  of  the  departing  pioneer.  On  foot  the 
emigrants  trudged  at  the  head  of  their  worldly  possessions,  as 
light  of  heart  as  the  birds  singing  in  the  forests  about  them. 
In  the  wagon  the  household  utensils  were  stowed  away,  with 
the  wives  and  little  ones,  while  the  bronzed  and  barefooted 
boys  drove  the  cows  and  hogs  along  the  road  behind  it." 

Troups  of  such  emigrants  crossed  over  the  Alleghanies  to 
the  head  of  navigation  on  the  Ohio.  Here  they  constructed 
flat-boats,  which  they  loaded  with  their  belongings.  Then  they 
glided  down  the  broad  river,  day  after  day,  week  after  week, 
until  they  found  a  place  to  suit  them. 

These  men  came  to  stay.  They  felled  trees  for  permanent 
dwellings,  cleared  the  ground  to  plant  corn  and  potatoes  and 
kept  poultry  and  swine.  Though  the  comforts  of  life  were 
scarcely  attainable  to  them,  they  lived  content  and  enjoyed 
the  freedom  of  the  forests  and  mountains.  Unlike  the  back- 
woodsmen  they  had   the  desire  to  better  their  condition,  — 

68 


to  grow  up  with  the  country,  not  to  abandon  it  with  the  first 
sign  of  progress. 

The  discovery  of  immense  deposits  of  coal  and  iron  in  the 
Ohio  regions  opened  a  new  field  to  the  iron  industry.  As  the 
Germans  had  been  a  great  factor  in  this  industry  on  the  East 
side  of  the  Alleghanies,  so  they  helped  here  in  its  develop- 
ment. Georg  Anschiitz,  a  native  of  Strassburg  in  Elsass, 
became  in  1  792  the  pioneer  of  the  iron  industry  at  Pittsburgh. 
Georg  Schoenberger  founded  in  1 804  the  Juniata  Forge  in 
Huntington  County.  Jacob  Meyers  established  on  State  Creek, 
Kentucky,  a  smelting  work,  where  he  manufactured  all  kinds 
of  tools,  stoves,  gun-barrels,  cooking-pots,  and  other  things. 
For  several  years  his  workmen  suffered  from  frequent  attacks 
by  the  Indians,  so  that  half  of  the  men  were  obliged  to  be 
under  arms.  But  as  by  and  by  the  redskins  disappeared,  the 
settlements  could  develop  in  peace. 

Now  the  clearings  grew  to  extensive  fields.  The  rude 
dwellings  were  replaced  by  pleasant  cottages,  separated  from 
each  other  by  gardens  and  streets.  The  stockades  and  block- 
houses, which  in  time  of  danger  had  served  as  places  of  refuge, 
fell  into  decay  and  became  dismantled. 

Many  of  such  new  settlements  were  founded  by  Germans 
or  by  men  of  German  origin.  Columbia,  now  within  the  pre- 
cincts of  the  city  of  Cincinnati,  was  founded  in  1  788  by  Major 
Benjamin  Steitz,  an  officer  of  the  Revolutionary  War,  and 
by  Martin  Denmann,  a  Pennsylvania  German.  Israel  Ludlow 
started  together  with  some  Americans  in  1  795  Dayton. 
Ebenezer  Zane  or  Zahne  erected  in  1  796  the  first  houses  of 
Zanesville.  There  are  in  Ohio,  Kentucky,  Tennessee,  Indiana 
and  Illinois  many  places,  whose  names  indicate  their  German 
origin,  as  for  instance  Frankfort,  Hanover,  Potsdam,  German- 
town,  Berlin,  Freiburg,  Wirtemberg,  Osnaburg,  Oldenburg, 
Hermann,  Spires  (Speyer),  Betzville,  Baumann,  New  Bremen, 
Wartburg,  New  Elsass,  and  others.  Germans  also  founded 
Steubenville,  commemorating  the  famous  organizer  of  the 
American  army. 

Above  all,  young  and  enterprising  folks  from  the  East 
settled  here,  eager  to  try,  like  their  fathers,  upon  new  grounds 
their  own  abilities.  Reinforced  by  a  steady  flow  of  immigrants 
from  Germany,  these  settlers  gave  to  many  towns  and  cities 
the  same  peculiar  character,  that  had  been  impressed  by 
the  older  German  immigration  on  many  parts  of  the  Eastern 
States.  Highly  respected  by  their  fellow-citizens  for  their 
thrift,  diligence,  endurance  and  sense  of  order,  they  helped 
in  peaceful  competition  to  convert  the  wilderness  into  those 
fertile  regions,  which  to-day  are  counted  among  the  most 
flourishing  in  the  United  States. 


69 


Pioneers  of  the  Mississippi  Valley 
and  the  Far  West. 


Fully  equal  to  the  part  played  by  Germans  in  the  colonizing 
of  the  Eastern  and  Central  States  was  their  share  in  the  devel- 
opment of  those  immense  regions  stretching  from  the  banks 
of  the  Mississippi  to  the  Pacific  Ocean.  When  Louisiana  was 
added  to  the  United  States  in  1803,  the  most  important  prob- 
lem became  that  of  diminishing  the  long  distance  between 
the  settlements  in  the  upper  valley  of  the  Ohio  River  and 
New  Orleans.  The  natural  advantages  of  that  city  destinated 
it  to  become  the  emporium  of  trade  for  all  imports  and  exports 
of  the  entire  area  surrounding  the  Mississippi  and  its  tributaries. 
Communication  by  rafts  and  flat  boats,  which  served  as  the 
first  means  of  transportation  on  these  waters,  was  extremely 
slow.  Besides,  these  clumsy  carriers  were  of  use  only  for  one 
trip  down  stream,  as  it  was  impossible  to  force  them  against 
the  strong  current  of  the  rivers.  In  consequence  the  crew  were 
always  compelled  to  abandon  these  rafts  and  boats  at  the 
points  of  their  destination  and  to  make  their  return  in  canoes. 

Even  when  keel-boats  came  into  use,  a  round  trip  between 
Pittsburgh  and  New  Orleans  consumed  a  whole  year!  This 
time  was  cut  in  half,  when  Martin  Baum,  an  energetic  and 
prosperous  German  merchant  in  Cincinnati,  engaged  a  former 
skipper  on  the  Rhine,  Heinrich  Bechtle,  to  build  several  sail- 
boats, with  which  Baum  now  opened  the  first  regular  service 
between   Cincinnati   and   New   Orleans. 

Several  years  later,  in  1811,  another  German,  Bernhard 
Rosefeldt,  constructed  in  Pittsburgh  the  first  steamboat  on 
the  Western  rivers.  This  vessel,  named  "New  Orleans,"  made 
her  first  trip  to  that  city.  The  captain  was  Heinrich  Schreve 
(Schriewe),  a  German,  from  which  Shreveport  in  Louisiana 
derives  it  name.  For  the  development  of  traffic  on  the 
Western  rivers  the  activity  of  this  man  was  of  greatest  import- 
ance, as  a  steam-saw  for  cutting  "snags,"  those  unrooted  trees, 
which,  when  entangled  in  the  mud  of  the  rivers  are  the  great- 
est danger  to  Western  navigation,  was  his  invention.  In  1829 
Shreve  built  the  snag-boat  "Heliopolis,"  and  had  charge  of 
the  removal  of  the  great  Red  River  Raft,  an  accumulation  of 
trees,  logs  and  driftwood  of  every  description,  firmly  imbed- 
ded in  the  channel  of  the  Red  River  for  more  than  1  60  miles. 
The  completion  of  this  tedious  and  difficult  task  opened  the 
river  to  navigation  for  a  distance  of   1200  miles. 

70 


Germans  also  gave  the  first  impulse  to  the  work  of  con- 
structing a  canal,  enabling  vessels  to  go  around  the  falls  of 
the  Ohio  River  at  Louisville,  which  had  been  another  great 
hindrance  to  navigation. 

With  the  institution  of  steam-boats  and  the  simultaneous 
construction  of  canals  several  new  ways  toward  the  West  were 
opened.  The  most  frequented  route  led  from  New  York  up 
the  Hudson  River  to  Albany.  Here  the  travellers  took  Canal 
boats  and  went  via  the  Erie  Canal  to  Buffalo,  where  they 
boarded  steamers,  that  carried  them  over  the  Great  Lakes 
to  Michigan,  Indiana,  Illinois,  Wisconsin  and  Minnesota. 
Other  vessels  made  regular  trips  from  European  harbors  and 
ports  at  the  East  coast  of  North  America  to  New  Orleans, 
where  comfortable  steamers  carried  the  passengers  to  the 
points  of  their  destination  in  the  interior. 

To  these  means  of  transportation  new  ones  were  added  by 
the  invention  of  railroads,  which  the  Americans  exploited 
with  the  same  zeal  displayed  by  them  in  making  nature 
subservient  so  as  to  yield  her  riches.  Enmeshing  the  country 
with  whole  networks  of  railways,  they  pushed  them  far  into 
the  uninhabited  parts  of  the  continent,  in  order  to  provide 
for  the  settlers  easy  ways  to  new  territories  with  new  possi- 
bilities. 

With  this  era  of  steamers  and  railways  began  the  great 
American  migration,  which  differs  from  the  migration  in 
ancient  Europe  in  that  it  was  not  caused  by  powerful  nations 
driving  weaker  ones  from  their  abodes.  It  consisted  of  indi- 
viduals and  families,  parting  voluntarily  from  the  communities 
in  Europe  and  of  the  Eastern  States  to  participate  in  the  con- 
quest of  the  uncultivated  western  regions  of  the  United  States. 

The  majority  of  the  immigrants  from  Germany  consisted, 
as  before,  of  farmers,  craftsmen  and  artisans.  But  with  them 
came  also  many  representatives  of  the  cultured  classes,  men 
who,  disappointed  by  the  unfortunate  political  affairs  of  the 
fatherland,  hoped  to  find  more  congenial  conditions  in  Amer- 
ica. Many  of  those  immigrants  devoted  themselves  to  farming 
and  became  the  founders  of  the  "Latin  Settlements,"  so  called, 
because  their  owners,  former  students  of  German  universities, 
were  able  to  converse  in  Latin  fluently  and  took  pleasure  in 
keeping  alive  their  learning  by  a  study  of  the  classics  in  prefer- 
ence to  idling  and  indulging  in  disputes  in  the  saloons. 

Large  numbers  of  these  "Latin  Farmers"  settled  in  the 
Mississippi  Valley.  Opposite  St.  Louis  they  founded  Belle- 
ville, a  prosperous  little  city,  which  became  the  birth-place  of 
many  men   of  prominence. 

Immigration  into  the  Mississippi  Valley  increased  from  year 
to  year.  Its  magnitude  may  be  judged  from  the  fact,  that  during 
January,  February  and  March  of  1 842  St.  Louis  saw  the 
arrival   of   529   steamers  with    30,384  passengers.      St.    Louis 

71 


grew  to  be  a  city  of  40,000  people.  That  among  them  were 
many  Germans,  is  indicated  by  the  fact,  that  they  maintained 
two  daily  papers  in  the  German  language. 

Attracted  by  enthusiastic  descriptions,  whole  expeditions  of 
emigrants  set  out  from  Germany,  to  establish  new  settlements 
in  these  new  regions.  One  of  these  undertakings  was  that  of 
the  Giessener  Emigration  Company,  started  by  Paul  Follenius, 
a  lawyer,  and  Friedrich  Munch,  a  minister  of  Giessen,  a  city 
in  Hessen.  Several  hundred  strong,  the  members  of  this  party 
started  in  1834  from  Bremen  for  Missouri.  But  here  they 
separated,  as  many  preferred  to  proceed  independently. 

A  similar  undertaking  was  that  of  the  Mainzer  Adelsverein, 
which  acquired  in  1  842  large  tracts  of  land  in  Texas,  northeast 
of  San  Antonio.  Here  several  German  settlements  were 
started,  among  them  New  Braunfels  and  Fredericksburg.  But 
soon  afterwards  the  company  dissolved,  when  in  1  848  Ger- 
many was  upset  by  revolutionary  movements.  The  settlers, 
left  to  their  own  resources,  struggled  against  the  greatest  diffi- 
culties through  many  years,  but,  by  their  energy  and  thrift, 
succeeded  in  time  to  make  their  colonies  the  most  flourishing 
of  all  Texas.  — 

Among  the  regions,  most  favored  by  the  Germans  for  their 
fertility  and  beautiful  sceneries,  were  the  Upper  Mississippi 
Valley  and  the  countries  lying  west  and  south  of  Lake  Michi- 
gan and  Lake  Superior.  New  settlements,  towns  and  cities 
sprang  up  here  like  mushrooms.  Alton,  Quincy,  Keokuk, 
Burlington,  Davenport,  Dubuque,  La  Crosse,  Winona,  Red 
Wing,  St.  Paul,  Minneapolis,  Chicago,  Milwaukee,  Duluth  and 
other  places  became  brisk  with  German  life.  And  at  the 
same  time  starting  points  for  parties  of  enterprising  Germans, 
who  established  new  settlements  at  the  tributaries  of  the 
Mississippi  as  well  as  at  the  borders  of  the  countless  lakes, 
glimmering  like  blue  eyes  among  the  forests  and  prairies  of 
Wisconsin,  Minnesota,  Dakota,  Nebraska  and  Iowa.  As  in 
the  region  south  of  the  Great  Lakes  so  here  many  settlements 
indicate  by  their  names  their  German  origin.  In  Iowa  we  find, 
for  instance,  Guttenberg,  Minden  and  New  Vienna;  in  Wis- 
consin Germantown,  New  Koeln,  New  Holstein  and  Town 
Schleswig;  in  Missouri  Westphalia,  Hermann,  New  Hamburg, 
Altenburg,  Wittenberg,  Carola,  Dammueller,  and  Frohne.  In 
Minnesota  a  number  of  enterprising  Germans  from  Chicago 
established  in  1856  New  Ulm,  a  settlement  which  grew  within 
six  years  to  a  lively  town  of  1  500  people,  but  in  1  862  suffered 
a  sudden  set-back,  when  large  bands  of  Sioux  Indians,  embit- 
tered by  the  countless  impositions  of  dishonest  Indian  agents, 
went  on  the  war  path  and  in  mad  desire  for  revenge  swooped 
upon  the  settlements.  New  Ulm,  being  farthest  west,  was 
attacked  on  August  19,  1862.  Not  prepared  for  the  sudden 
assault,    the    inhabitants   retreated    toward    the   center    of   the 

72 


town,  where  hastily  a  large  square  was  formed  of  boxes, 
barrels,  wagons,  ploughs  and  all  kinds  of  materials,  the  women 
and  children  huddling  together  within  this  barricade.  After 
severe  fighting,  which  lasted  through  the  entire  day,  the 
enemies  were  repelled.  But  on  August  23d  they  returned  in 
far  larger  numbers,   resolved  to  finish  the  town. 

Their  advance  upon  the  sloping  prairie  in  the  bright  sun- 
light was  a  most  picturesque  and  exciting  spectacle.  When 
within  about  one  mile  of  the  Germans,  who  awaited  the  attack 
outside  of  the  town,  the  savage  warriors,  all  on  horseback  and 
bedecked  with  gay  colors  and  fluttering  feathers,  began  to 
expand  like  a  fan.  Then,  uttering  terrific  yells,  they  came 
down  like  the  wind.  Again  the  settlers  were  compelled  to 
fall  back  into  the  town,  which  the  Indians  promptly  com- 
menced to  set  afire.  The  wind,  coming  from  the  lower  part 
of  the  place,  fanned  the  flames  and  permitted  the  Sioux  to 
advance  behind  the  smoke.  The  conflagration  became  general 
and  brought  the  defenders  of  New  Ulm  into  a  most  critical 
situation,  as  the  space,  held  by  them,  grew  smaller  and  smaller. 
Finally  they  were  concentrated  upon  the  barricaded  square 
in  the  center  of  the  town.  They  defended  this  last  position 
so  gallantly  during  the  rest  of  the  day,  during  the  night  and 
the  following  morning,  that  at  noon  the  enemies,  despairing 
of  success,  retreated.  1  78  dwellings  had  gone  up  in  flames, 
and  many  men,  women  and  children  were  killed  or  wounded. 
As  other  attacks  were  likely,  the  survivors  left  the  destroyed 
town  and  retreated  to  points  in  the  neighborhood  that  could 
be  more  easily  defended.  Here  they  remained  until  order 
was  re-established.  During  this  revolt  of  the  Sioux  644  settlers 
and  93  soldiers  lost  their  lives,  while  the  material  damage 
amounted  to  more  than  2,000,000  dollars.  Later  on  many 
of  the  inhabitants  of  New  Ulm  returned.  And  as  the  govern- 
ment reimbursed  the  settlers  for  their  losses,  the  town  soon 
regained   its   former  bright   appearance. 

5js  >|c  :J:  ;fc 

Back  in  1803,  when  Louisiana  became  a  part  of  the  United 
States,  nothing  was  known  about  the  immense  territories  west 
of  the  Mississippi.  No  boat  had  plied  yet  upon  the  mysterious 
rivers  rushing  forth  from  the  endless  prairies,  which  no  white 
man  had  ever  traversed.  Accordingly,  on  the  maps,  the 
region  between  the  Mississippi  and  the  Pacific  Ocean  was  a 
blank  spot  bearing  the  ominous  inscription:  "The  Great 
American  Desert;   unexplored." 

But  American  energy  would  not  tolerate  such  conditions. 
Soon  after  the  Louisiana  purchase  had  become  perfect,  the 
captains  Lewis  and  Clarke  were  sent  on  their  memorable 
exploring  expedition,  which  led  them  up  the  Missouri  River 
and  through  the  passes  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  to  the  mouth 
of  the  Columbia  River,   whose  harbour  had  been  mentioned 

73 


by  early  navigators.  The  feasibility  of  an  overland  route 
having  thus  been  demonstrated,  an  enterprising  German  mer- 
chant, Johann  Jacob  Astor,  was  the  first  to  follow  it. 

Born  1  763  in  Waldorf,  a  little  village  in  Baden,  Germany, 
he  came  to  New  York  in  1  784.  At  once  he  engaged  in  the 
fur  trade,  his  attention  having  been  called  to  its  vast  possi- 
bilities by  a  fellow-countryman.  Entering  this  occupation 
with  unremitting  vigor  and  keen  judgment  he  rose,  in  a  com- 
paratively very  short  time,  to  be  one  of  the  most  renowned 
merchants  of  America.  During  the  first  years  his  enterprise 
called  quite  often  for  his  presence  among  the  Indian  tribes, 
with  whom  he  established  trading  relations.  In  company  of 
trappers  and  voyageurs  he  traversed  the  forests  of  New  York, 
Michigan  and  Lower  Canada.  In  a  birch  canoe  with  a  couple 
of  redskins  he  shot  the  dangerous  rapids  of  Sault  Sainte  Marie. 
He  camped  with  the  Iroquois  of  the  Mohawk  Valley  and  with 
the  Chippewahs  of  Lake  Superior.  But  wherever  he  went  he 
dealt  with  the  Indians  in  a  spirit  of  fairness  and  humanity. 
In  a  dozen  years  Astor  had  diverted  some  of  the  most  profit- 
able markets  from  his  competitors,  and  was  head  of  the  Amer- 
ican Fur  Company,  which  had  branches  in  Albany,  Buffalo, 
Pittsburgh  and  Detroit.  The  furs,  collected  at  these  places, 
were  shipped  to  London,  the  vessels  returning  with  English 
goods.  It  was  not  long  before  Astor  was  able  to  buy  ships  of 
his  own,  and  before  the  end  of  the  century  he  had,  to  quote 
his  own  expression,  "a  million  dollars  afloat,"  invested  in  a 
fleet  of  a  dozen  vessels.  Astor  was  the  first  American  to 
conceive  the  idea  of  regularly  circumnavigating  the  globe, 
sending  vessels  with  American  furs  to  England,  thence  carrying 
British  goods  to  China,  and  return  to  New  York  with  tea,  silk 
and  other  Oriental  ware.  For  about  twenty-five  years  his 
ships  sailed  round  the  world,  some  going  eastward  and  some 
westward,   each  occupying  two  years,  more  or  less. 

With  the  ascertaining  of  the  overland  route  to  the  Pacific 
Astor  conceived  the  idea  of  organizing  the  fur  trade  from 
the  Great  Lakes  to  the  Pacific  Ocean,  by  establishing  a  line 
of  trading  stations  which  should  stretch  from  the  Great  Lakes 
along  the  Missouri  River  and  across  the  Rocky  Mountains  to 
the  mouth  of  the  Columbia.  The  end  station  was  to  be  located 
at  the  latter  point  and  was  to  be  provided  from  New  York 
by  vessels  loaded  with  wares  suited  to  the  Indian  traffic.  Then 
the  same  vessels  were  to  carry  the  furs,  collected  at  that 
station,  to  China,  where  a  large  demand  for  furs  had  arisen. 
There  the  vessels  were  to  be  freighted  with  tea  for  England, 
and  finally  they  were  to  return  with  British  manufactures  to 
New  York. 

Preparations  for  the  realization  of  this  great  plan  were  made 
on  a  most  liberal  scale,  and  nothing  was  left  to  chance.  While 
an  expedition  of  60  trappers,  agents,  guides  and  interpreters 

74 


went  from  St.  Louis  overland,  following  the  route  of  Lewis 
and  Clarke,  the  ship  "Tonquin,"  with  an  equipment  of  every- 
thing a  new-fledged  colony  could  require,  sailed  from  New 
York  around  Cape  Horn  to  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia,  arriv- 
ing there  in  March,  1811,  nine  months  ahead  of  the  land 
expedition.  A  site  for  a  trading  station  was  chosen  ten  miles 
up  the  river,  and  the  erecting  of  comfortable  dwellings  and 
ware  houses  began  at  once.  In  honor  of  its  projector  the 
settlement  was  called  Astoria.  When  in  January  1812  the 
men  of  the  overland  party  arrived  utterly  destitute,  they  found 
relief  within  its  walls. 

Unfortunately  the  history  of  this  great  undertaking  was  brief. 
While  the  "Tonquin"  was  on  a  trading  expedition,  she  was 
approached  by  large  numbers  of  Indians,  offering  furs,  and 
apparently  unarmed.  In  violation  of  Astor's  instructions  that 
Indians  were  to  be  allowed  on  shipboard  only  a  few  at  a  time, 
they  were  suffered  to  clamber  up  the  sides  of  the  ship  and 
to  come  on  deck.  Drawing  knives,  concealed  in  the  bundles 
of  fur,  which  they  pretended  to  sell,  the  redskins  fell  upon 
the  whites  before  the  latter  had  time  to  prepare  for  an  attack 
and  massacred  them.  Only  four  of  the  crew  escaped  the 
slaughtering  and  barricaded  themselves  in  the  cabin.  They 
even  succeeded  in  ridding  the  ship  of  the  invaders  by  opening 
a  brisk  fire  from  their  rifles.  But  when  on  the  next  morning 
the  enemies  appeared  again  in  overwhelming  masses  and 
swarmed  on  deck  with  yells  of  triumph,  the  sailors  exploded 
the  powder  magazine,  killing  themselves  and  hundreds  of 
their  foes. 

To  the  loss  of  the  "Tonquin"  came  another  mishap,  much 
more  serious.  During  the  war,  which  broke  out  in  the  same 
year  between  the  United  States  and  England,  the  government 
was  unable  to  defend  Astoria.  Finding  themselves  cut  off 
from  help  and  threatened  with  capture  by  a  British  gun-boat, 
Astor's  agents  sold  the  property  to  the  Hudson  Bay  Company, 
which  took  possession  of  the  station  and  held  it  till  1  846,  when 
England  was  compelled  to  abandon  all  claims  on  the  region 
of  the  Columbia  River. 

While  Astor's  plan  ended  in  failure,  it  stands  nevertheless 
among  the  great  commercial  undertakings  as  a  shining  monu- 
ment of  German  American  enterprise,  the  more,  as  it  found  a 
historian  in  Astor's  famous  friend  Washington  Irving,  whose 
classic  work  "Astoria,  or  Anecdotes  of  an  Enterprise  Beyond 
the  Rocky  Mountains"  was  read  in  all  civilized  countries  of 
the  world  with  great  interest. 


As  Astor  is  known  as  the  first  to  initiate  a  commerce  with 
the  farthest  Northwest,  so  another  German  is  the  most  promi- 
nent of  the   pioneers  of  California:  Johann  August  Sutter. 

75 


Born  in  February  1  803  in  Kandern,  Baden,  he  visited  a  mili- 
tary school  in  Switzerland  and,  later  on,  became  a  colonel 
of  a  batallion  of  infantry.  In  1834  his  adventurous  spirit 
brought  him  to  St.  Louis,  then  the  center  of  the  western  fur 
trade.  From  here  in  every  spring  numerous  caravans  of  traders 
went  forth  to  purchase  the  pelts,  the  Indians  and  trappers  had 
collected  in  wintertime.  Other  caravans  went  from  St.  Louis 
over  the  so-called  Santa  Fe  Trail  to  the  far  Southwest,  to  trade 
with  the  inhabitants  of  Texas,  New  Mexico,  Arizona  and  Cali- 
fornia. One  of  the  most  successful  of  these  merchants  was 
A.  Speier,  whose  expeditions  went  as  far  as  Chihuahua.  As 
a  member  of  such  caravans  Sutter  made  several  trips  to  Santa 
Fe.  In  1838  he  went  with  a  number  of  trappers  to  Oregon, 
Vancouver  Island  and  Hawaii.  At  Honolulu  he  bought  a 
vessel  and  undertook  a  trading  expedition  to  Alaska.  Two 
years  later  Sutter  obtained  from  the  Mexican  Government 
the  titles  for  two  landgrants,  comprising  together  141,000 
acres  at  the  Sacramento  River  in  California.  Here  he  estab- 
lished a  settlement,  which  he  named  New  Helvetia.  For  its 
protection  he  built  Fort  Sutter  and  surrounded  it  with  high 
adobe-walls,  through  whose  embrasures  forty  guns  pointed  in 
every  direction.  The  garrison  was  composed  of  Americans, 
Europeans  and  Indians.  In  view  of  Sutter's  former  training 
it  can  not  surprise,  that  he  maintained  a  sort  of  military  dis- 
cipline, and  that  every  evening  the  garrison  was  drilled  by  an 
officer,  generally  a  German,  marching  to  the  music  of  fife 
and  drum. 

In  recognition  of  his  valuable  services  Sutter  was  made  a 
governor  of  these  most  northern  possessions  of  Mexico.  He 
lived  here,  however,  rather  independently,  raising  with  Indian 
laborers  enormous  quantities  of  wheat  and  large  herds  of 
cattle.  The  number  of  men  employed  by  him  ran  from 
100  to  500,  the  latter  at  harvest  time.  Among  them 
were  blacksmiths,  carpenters,  tanners,  gun-smiths,  farmers, 
vaqueros,  gardeners,  weavers,  hunters,  sawers,  sheep-herders, 
trappers,  millwrights  and  distillers.  In  a  word,  Sutter  started 
every  business  and  enterprise  conceivable.  The  prospects  for 
the  future  of  the  colony  were  unparallelled,  and  Sutter  was 
regarded  as  the  richest  man  in  California,  when  suddenly,  by 
one  of  the  queerest  caprices  of  fate,  came  frustration  and  ruin. 
On  January  19,  1848,  soon  after  California  had  been 
annexed  by  the  United  States,  James  W.  Marshall,  a  carpenter 
in  Sutter's  service,  while  building  a  saw-mill,  discovered  in 
the  millrace  many  flakes  and  kernels  of  yellow  metal.  All  at 
once  it  flashed  upon  him,  that  these  shining"  particles  might 
be  gold.  Gathering  a  handful,  he  rode  in  hot  haste  to  the 
fort,  to  inform  his  employer  of  his  find.  When  chemical  tests 
proved  the  truth  of  Marshall's  assumption,  Sutter,  fearing  that 
the  news  would  upset  all  conditions  of  his  colony,  made  efforts 

76 


to  keep  the  discovery  a  secret.  But  in  vain.  It  leaked  out 
and  was  soon  known  in  the  fort  and  at  the  mill.  And  now 
the  cry  "Gold!  Gold!"  was  borne  on  the  wings  of  the  wind 
to  the  sea-coast,  and  from  the  sea-coast  to  the  four  quarters 
of  the  globe. 

What  Sutter  had  apprehended  became  true.  Almost  all  his 
men  deserted  him.  The  whole  population  of  New  Helvetia, 
of  San  Francisco,  of  Monterey,  of  California  was  caught  with 
the  infection  and  started  to  the  gold  fields,  which  soon  were 
disclosed  in  many  districts.  Public  buildings  in  the  towns  and 
cities  became  deserted,  as  the  officials  abandoned  their  posts. 
Newspapers  suspended  their  issues  indefinitely,  as  the  editors 
vanished  without  asking  furlough.  Vessels  were  unable  to 
depart,  as  their  crews  deserted.  Workshops,  stores,  dwellings, 
and  even  fields  of  ripe  grain,  wines  and  families  were  left  to 
take  care  of  themselves.  Even  churches  had  to  be  closed,  as 
their  ministers  also  succumbed  to  the  lure  of  the  yellow  metal. 
And  when  reports  of  the  discovery  of  gold  reached  the  Atlantic 
States,  thousands  and  thousands  of  men  left  their  homes,  to 
seek  their  fortunes  among  the  gulches  of  the  wild  Sierra. 

Whole  armies  of  adventurers  and  desperate  characters,  all 
craving  for  gold,  swarmed  over  Sutter's  property,  trampling 
down  his  crops,  killing  his  cattle  and  turning  everything  upside 
down.  Without  power  to  drive  the  intruders  away,  Sutter  saw 
his  property  ruined.  All  remonstrations  remained  unheeded. 
Even  his  titles  to  his  estates  were  disputed,  as  they  had  been 
acquired  from  the  Mexican  government,  but  not  indorsed  by 
the  United  States.  All  appeals  for  justice  were  in  vain.  Never 
regaining  possession  of  his  property,  he  would  have  died  in 
poverty  had  not  the  State  of  California  voted  to  him  in  1865 
a  pension  of  3000  dollars  annually  for  seven  years,  on  account 
of  state  taxes  which  Sutter  had  paid  on  the  land  when  it  was 
no  longer  his  property.  When  Sutter  died  in  1  888,  America 
lost  one  of  her  most  remarkable  men,  whose  memory  will 
survive  in  the  history  of  California  for  all  time  to  come. 

More  favored  by  fate  was  another  German  pioneer,  who 
arrived  in  California  in  1841  :  Karl  Maria  Weber.  For  some 
time  he  was  in  Sutter's  service,  but  later  on  became  a  great 
cattle-raiser  of  his  own.  Leading  an  adventurous  life,  he  was, 
like  Sutter,  one  of  the  earliest  promoters  of  American  against 
Mexican  interests.  For  this  reason  he  was  several  times  con- 
demned to  be  shot  by  the  Mexicans.  After  the  discovery  of 
gold  Weber  founded  the  "Stockton  Mining  Company"  and 
laid  out  a  city,  Stockton,  which  received  her  name  in  honor 
of  Commodore  Stockton,  who  aided  in  getting  the  concessions 
for  the  colony.  Weber  made  not  only  the  plans  for  this  city, 
but  supplied  her  also  with  macadamized  streets,  natural  gas, 
electricity  and  other  modern  improvements.     Before  his  death 

77 


he  donated  also  all  real  estate  needed  for  the  erection  of 
public  buildings  and  parks. 

Another  remarkable  German  pioneer  of  the  Far  West  was 
August  Laufkoetter,  who  with  a  band  of  26  Delaware  Indians 
made  trading  expeditions  to  Arizona.  Later  on  he  was  among 
the  first  settlers  of  Sacramento,  California. 

In  Texas  and  Arizona  Herman  von  Ehrenberg,  a  topograph- 
ical engineer,  made  history.  He  was  one  of  the  600  men,  who 
in  1835  drove  2000  Mexicans  from  San  Antonio  and  forced 
the  fort  Alamo  to  surrender.  He  had  also  part  in  the  battle 
at  San  Jacinto  on  April  21,  1836,  in  which  the  independence 
of  Texas  was  secured.  Later  on  Ehrenberg  was  a  member  of 
the  commission  to  establish  the  frontier  between  Arizona  and 
Mexico.  Afterwards  he  organized  the  Sonora  Exploring  and 
Mining  Company,  and  also  became  a  great  landholder.  Ehren- 
berg, a  city  on  the  lower  Colorado  River  in  Arizona,  was 
named  after  this  enterprising  German. 

To  this  brief  list  of  German  pioneers  of  the  Far  West  many 
other  names  might  be  added.  Wherever  we  investigate  the 
history  of  our  Western  States  and  communities,  we  discover 
German  names,  made  known  by  their  bearers  in  some 
direction. 


The  Men  of  1848. 


The  first  half  of  the  nineteenth  century  witnessed  the  arrival 
on  American  shores  of  a  vast  number  of  German  immigrants, 
who  gained  a  most  significant  place  in  American  history:  "the 
Men  of   1848." 

Their  peculiar  name  needs  explanation.  As  is  commonly 
known,  all  political  conditions  of  central  Europe  had  at  the 
beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century  been  overthrown  by 
Napoleon  Buonaparte,  that  great  adventurer,  who  aimed  at 
the  erection  of  a  Caesarean  Empire,  the  like  of  which  the  world 
had  not  seen  before.  This  dream  was  defeated  in  the  great 
battle  at  Leipzig  by  the  inhabitants  of  the  kingdoms  and  prin- 
cipalities of  Germany  and  those  of  Austria.  Having  taken  such 
a  heroic  part  in  this  gigantic  struggle  for  liberation,  the  people 
had  hoped  for  the  establishment  of  constitutional  govern- 
ments, in  which  they  might  have  part.  But  this  justified  expec- 
tation was  sadly  deceived.  The  rulers,  forgetful  that  the 
people  had  saved  their  thrones,  denied  them  such  right,  and 
opened  instead  a  long  period  of  reaction,  which  manifested 
its  triumph  in  dark  acts  of  oppression  and  tyranny.  Dissatis- 
fied by  the  ingratitude  of  the  sovereigns,  many  patriots,  detest- 
ing violence,  turned  their  backs  on  the  land  of  their  birth, 
hoping  to  find  in  America  new  fields  for  their  abilities.  Others, 
unwilling  to  submit  to  the  petty  tyranny  of  the  rulers,  resolved 
to  resist  and  became  leaders  in  a  bitter  struggle  for  liberty, 
which,  dragging  along  for  many  years,  culminated  in  the 
revolutionary  outbreaks  of  the  year  1 848.  The  symbols  of 
that  sanguinary  year  were  chosen  to  denote  all  those  Germans 
and  Austrians,  who  took  part  in  the  long  struggle,  though 
their  participation  dated  back  to  earlier  years.  Among  these 
men  were  thousands  who  had  reached  the  highest  pinnacle 
of  intellectual  development,  men  with  ideal  aspirations,  who 
became  in  America  successful  promoters  of  the  ethical,  moral 
and  material  welfare  of  the  people,  and  gained  also  wide- 
spread influence  in  the  direction  of  affairs  in  our  federation 
of  States. 

Among  the  earlier  arrivals,  who  came  between  1820  to 
1848,  were  Karl  Follen,  Karl  Beck,  Franz  Lieber,  Joseph 
Grund,  Johann  August  Roebling,  Georg  Seidensticker  and 
Max  Oertel,  every  one  an  apostle  of  science,  art  and  home 
culture. 

Among  the  men,  who  came  in  1  848  and  the  years  following, 

79 


were  Karl  Schurz,  Franz  Sigel,  Peter  Osterhaus,  Friedrich 
Hecker,  Gustav  Korner,  Gustav  von  Struve,  Karl  Heinzen, 
Hans  Kudlich,  August  Willich,  Konrad  Krez,  Max  Weber, 
Karl  Eberhard  Salomo,  Julius  Stahel,  Hermann  Raster,  Johann 
Bernhard  Stallo,  Friedrich  Kapp,  Lorenz  Brentano,  Friedrich 
Hassaureck,  Oswald  Ottendorfer,  Caspar  Butz,  Theodor  Kirch- 
hoff,  Karl  Douai  and  many  thousand  others.  In  all,  Germany 
lost  during  the  so-called  "Reaktionszeit"  more  than  one  and 
a  half  million  of  her  best  citizens. 

Germany's  loss  meant  for  the  United  States  an  invaluable 
gain,  as  so  many  hundred  thousands  of  highly  cultured  men 
and  women  came  into  this  country.  While  the  former  German 
immigration  had  consisted  essentially  of  farmers,  workmen 
and  traders,  now  scholars  and  students  of  every  branch  of 
science,  artists,  writers,  journalists,  lawyers,  ministers,  teach- 
ers and  foresters  came  in  numbers.  The  enormous  amount  of 
knowledge,  idealism  and  activity,  embodied  in  these  political 
exiles,  made  them  the  most  valuable  immigrants  America 
ever  received.  As  they  accepted  positions  as  teachers  and 
professors  at  the  schools  and  universities,  or  filled  public 
offices,  or  founded  all  sorts  of  newspapers  and  periodicals, 
learned  societies  and  social  clubs,  these  men  inspired  the 
hitherto  dull  social  life  of  America,  that  it  gained  a  much  freer 
and  more  progressive  character. 

Under  their  able  leadership  the  older  German  element  in  the 
United  States  improved  also  greatly.  Formerly  without  close 
connection  and  compared  with  an  army  of  able  soldiers  but 
without  officers,  it  now  began  to  form  under  the  leadership 
of  the  men  of  1  848  a  community,  whose  prime  efforts  were 
directed  toward  the  welfare  of  their  adopted  country  and  to 
keep  unsullied  the  fountains  of  liberty  and  the  rights  of  men. 
That  among  the  exiles  of  1  848  were  characters  of  the  same 
calibre  as  Franklin  and  Washington,  though  the  revolution  at 
home  had  been  unsuccessful,  will  be  clearly  revealed  by  the 
shining  examples  of  which  the  coming  chapters  will  relate. 


Distinguished    Germans    in 
American  Politics. 


While  it  is  true  that  comparatively  few  men  of  German 
birth  are  found  holding  political  office  and  that  representation 
of  the  German  element  in  the  halls  of  the  legislatures  and  in 
administrative  places  is  in  no  way  commensurate  with  its 
numerical  strength,  it  must  not  be  assumed  that  its  influence 
in  American  politics  is  or  was  negligible.  Here  as  elsewhere 
we  find  the  Germans  disposed  to  deal  with  public  affairs  as 
statesmen  rather  than  as  politicians.  Precisely  this  quality, 
however,  gave  their  views  an  importance  which  exerted  a 
considerable  and  wholesome  influence  on  American  politics, 
oftimes  sufficient  to  render  them  the  decisive  factor  in  great 
issues.  Thus,  for  instance,  in  the  question  of  slavery,  first 
raised,  as  shown  in  a  previous  chapter,  by  the  inhabitants  of 
Germantown.  They  steadfastly  advocated  its  abolition  through 
all  the  18th  and  the  19th  centuries,  standing  their  ground 
until   the  issue  was  decided   in   accordance  with   their  views. 

Due  to  their  verdict  also  were  the  prevailing  of  common 
sense  and  true  statesmanship  in  the  political  battles  waged 
for  Sound  Money,  Civil  Service,  Party  Reform,  Conservation, 
Temperance  and  Personal  Liberty. 

In  the  discussion  of  all  these  questions  the  German 
Americans  were  invariably  guided  by  men  of  sound  judgment 
and  keen  intellect.  Pastorius  and  Leisler  were  followed  by 
Zenger,  Saur  and  the  Muehlenbergs,  the  latter  family  repre- 
sented by  several  eminent  members,  who  distinguished  them- 
selves in  public  and  political  life.  Peter  Muhlenberg  was  a 
member  of  Congress  during  three  sessions.  His  brother, 
Frederick  August  Muhlenberg,  was  not  only  member  and 
speaker  of  the  Pennsylvania  State  Legislature,  but  also  a 
member  of  the  First,  the  Second,  the  Third  and  Fourth 
sessions  of  Congress.  Manifest  proof  of  the  excellency  of  his 
character  was  the  fact,  that  he,  a  citizen  of  foreign  origin,  was 
elected  as  the  very  first  Speaker  of  the  House  of  Representa- 
tives, and  that  he  was  re-elected  to  the  same  position  during 
the  third  session.  His  son,  Henry  August  Muhlenberg,  was 
one  of  the  representatives  of  Pennsylvania  for  a  period  of 
nine  years. 

The  most  remarkable  German  leaders  of  the  19th  century 
were  Franz  Lieber  and  Carl  Schurz.  Lieber,  born  on  March  1  0, 
1800,  in  Berlin,  received  his  training  in  science  at  the  Univer- 

81 


sities  of  his  native  city  and  of  Jena  and  in  close  intercourse 
with  some  of  the  most  noted  men  of  his  time,  especially  Lud- 
wig  Jahn,  the  famous  promoter  of  physical  exercise.  Through 
him  Lieber  became  imbued  with  the  deep  love  for  liberty, 
which  distinguished  those  noble  patriots,  who  in  the  years  1813 
to  1815  threw  off  the  yoke  of  Napoleon.  Unfortunately  the 
reactionary  men,  then  at  the  helm  of  government  in  his  native 
country,  regarded  all  persons  with  liberal  sentiments  as 
enemies  of  the  state.  So  it  came  to  pass  that  Jahn  and 
Lieber  were  placed  several  times  under  arrest.  Heavy  of 
heart,  Lieber  emigrated  to  America,  arriving  here  in  1827. 
Before  he  found  permanent  employment,  his  struggles  were 
very  hard.  In  1828  he  began  with  editing  the  "Encyclopaedia 
Americana,"  an  adaptation  of  the  famous  "Brockhaus  Con- 
versations Lexikon,"  but  containing  many  original  articles, 
written  by  Lieber  on  political  science  and  subjects.  This  work 
was  first  published  in  Philadelphia,  later  on  as  the  "American 
Encyclopaedia"  by  Appleton  in  New  York. 

In  1835  Lieber  was  appointed  professor  of  history  and 
political  economy  at  South  Carolina  College,  Columbia,  S.  C. 
This  position  became  untenable,  when  the  question  of  slavery 
grew  acute,  and  Lieber,  whose  whole  soul  longed  for  liberty, 
became  one  of  the  earnest  advocates  of  the  abolishment  of 
human  bondage. 

In  185  7  Lieber  accepted  a  call  to  Columbia  College,  New 
York  City.  This  was  the  first  recognition  by  a  Northern 
college  of  History  and  Politics  as  properly  co-ordinated  sub- 
jects. Lieber  spent  nearly  forty  years  at  imparting  a  knowl- 
edge of  this  most  vital  branch  to  the  youth  of  the  republic. 
During  this  time  he  wrote  three  monumental  works,  whereby 
he  founded  his  fame  as  one  of  the  greatest  publicists  of  the 
world.  In  his  "Manual  of  Political  Ethics,"  published  in  1837, 
he  gave  the  first  great  original  treatise  on  political  science  in 
America.  Its  subjects  include  the  ethical  nature  of  man,  public 
opinion,  parties,  factions,  opposition,  love  of  truth,  persever- 
ance, the  duty  of  representatives,  judges,  lawyers,  office  hold- 
ers, and  the  pardoning  power.  The  keynote  of  this  remarkable 
work  is  Lieber's  favorite  motto:  "No  right  without  its  duties: 
no  duty  without  its  rights." 

Two  years  later  this  great  work  was  followed  by  another 
important  contribution  to  political  science,  "The  Legal  and 
Political  Hermeneutics."  Its  value  was  recognized  in  the 
"Nation"  as  follows:  "Many  of  the  topics  discussed  in  this 
book  were  at  Lieber's  time  new,  doubtful,  and  difficult.  Of 
the  conclusions  arrived  at  by  Lieber  and  first  expressed  by 
him,  writers  of  the  present  day  often  speak  as  familiar  political 
truths,  without,  perhaps,  any  conception  on  their  part  of  the 
source  whence  they  were  derived." 

In   1853  appeared  Lieber's  greatest  and  best  known  work: 

82 


"Civil  Liberty  and  Self -Government."  Another  great  work 
on  the  "Origin  and  the  National  Elements  of  the  Constitution 
of  the  United  States,"  which  promised  to  be  Lieber's  best, 
unfortunately  remained  a  fragment. 

During  the  later  years  of  his  life  Lieber  became  deeply 
interested  in  the  subject  of  international  law.  He  was  the 
first  to  propose  the  idea  of  professional  jurists  of  all  nations 
coming  together  for  the  purpose  of  working  harmoniously 
together,  and  seeking  to  establish  a  common  understanding, 
and  thus  serving  as  an  organ  for  the  legal  consciousness  of 
the  civilized  world.  From  this  impulse  proceeded  Rolin- 
Jacquemyn's  circular  letter,  to  found  a  permanent  academy 
of  international  law,  the  "Institut  de  Droit  International," 
which  was  started  in  Ghent  in  1873,  only  one  year  after 
Lieber's  death,  which  occurred  on  October  2,    1872. 

While  Lieber's  heart  was  devoted  to  the  welfare  of  his 
adopted  country,  he  never  descended  to  the  level  of  the  part- 
isan. The  motto  of  his  study  and  life  was:  "Dear  is  my 
Country;  dearer  still  is  Liberty;  dearest  of  all  is  Truth!" 

Inspired  by  the  same  idealism  was  Carl  Schurz,  the  greatest 
of  all  Germans,  who  made  America  their  home.  Born  on 
March  2,  1  829,  in  Liblar,  near  Cologne,  Schurz,  as  a  student  at 
the  University  of  Bonn,  also  became  so  deeply  involved  in  the 
revolutionary  movement  ot  1  848,  that  he  was  compelled  to 
flee.  After  a  stay  of  several  years  in  England  and  France  he 
arrived  in  1852  in  Philadelphia.  Here  he  resided  for  three 
years.  Later  on  he  went  to  Wisconsin,  where  he  practiced 
law.  At  this  time  the  great  struggle  between  the  North  and 
the  South  was  brewing  and  it  became  evident  that  the  old 
cause  of  human  freedom  was  to  be  fought  out  on  the  soil  of 
the  new  world. 

Like  Pastorius  and  the  inhabitants  of  Germantown  had 
been  opposed  to  slavery,  so  almost  all  Germans  in  the  United 
States  favored  abolition.  Schurz  became  at  once  their  most 
eloquent  spokesman  and  most  potent  leader. 

"Before  the  Lincoln  presidential  campaign,"  so  Andrew  D. 
White  states  in  his  autobiography,  "slavery  was  always  dis- 
cussed either  from  a  constitutional  or  philanthropical  point  of 
view,  orators  seeking  to  show  either  that  it  was  at  variance 
with  the  fundamental  principles  of  our  government  or  an 
offence  against  humanity.  But  Schurz  discussed  it  in  a  new 
way  and  mainly  from  the  philosophic  point  of  view,  showing 
not  merely  its  hostility  to  the  American  ideas  of  liberty  and 
the  wrong  it  did  to  the  slaves,  but,  more  especially,  the  injury 
it  wrought  upon  the  country  at  large,  and,  above  all,  upon 
the  Slave  States  themselves.  In  treating  this  and  all  other 
public  questions  he  was  philosophic,  eloquent  and  evidently 
sincere." 

While  taking  an  active  part  in  the  campaign  of  the  Repub- 

83 


lican  party  against  the  extension  of  slavery,  Schurz  attained 
an  influence  in  the  councils  of  the  party  and  with  the  voters, 
especially  the  Germans,  that  made  his  role  in  the  struggle  of 
1860  extremely  important,  and,  in  the  reckoning  of  shrewd 
observers,  wellnigh  decisive.  Lincoln,  after  his  election, 
acknowledged  the  great  services  of  Schurz  by  appointing  him 
U.  S.  Minister  to  Spain.  But  his  stay  at  this  post  was  only  of 
short  duration.  As  soon  as  the  Civil  War  broke  out,  Schurz 
resigned  in  order  to  enter  the  Union  Army.  His  part  in  the 
dreadful  struggle  is  outlined  in  another  chapter. 

On  conclusion  of  the  war  President  Johnson  commissioned 
Schurz  to  make  a  tour  through  the  Southern  States,  to  inves- 
tigate their  conditions.  His  report  was  full  of  valuable  sug- 
gestions and  was  the  basis  of  the  reconstruction  policy  adopted 
by  Congress,  with  the  difference,  however,  that  Schurz  steadily 
pressed  the  enactment  of  general  amnesty  and  of  impartial 
conditional  suffrage. 

In  the  Presidential  campaign  of  1  868  Schurz  was  again  one 
of  the  most  effective  speakers  of  the  Republican  party,  and 
in  the  following  year  was  chosen  United  States  Senator  from 
Missouri.  The  Senate  was  the  forum,  where  his  great  gifts 
and  extraordinary  eloquence  came  to  full  development. 
"Schurz' s  greatness  as  an  orator,"  so  said  the  N.  Y.  Evening 
Post  in  an  editorial  of  May  14,  1906,  'lay  in  this,  that  he  not 
only  spoke  as  a  rational  man  to  rational  men,  but  as  a  man  of 
heart  and  conscience,  who  judges  every  man  by  himself  and 
feels  that  his  best  hold  is  in  appealing  to  the  better  nature  of 
his  hearers.  Unlike  many  of  his  most  distinguished  colleagues, 
he  never  resorted  to  inflated  or  bombastic  rhetoric  and  never 
stooped  to  any  of  the  well-worn  artifices  with  which  dema- 
gogues from  time  immemorial  have  been  wont  to  tickle  the 
ears  of  the  mob.  What  he  said  of  Sumner  in  his  unsurpassed 
eulogy  of  the  Massachusetts  Senator,  that  'he  stands  as  the 
most  pronounced  idealist  among  the  public  men  of  America,' 
might  with  equal  truth  be  said  of  himself." 

That  Schurz  was  among  the  American  Statesmen  an  idealist 
of  the  noblest  type,  who  believed  in  the  great  mission  of  the 
United  States,  and  himself  strove  at  the  highest  goal,  is  indi-_ 
cated  by  a  significant  remark,  made  by  him  one  day:  "Our 
ideals  resemble  the  stars,  that  illuminate  the  night.  No  one 
will  ever  be  able  to  touch  them.  But  the  men  who,  like  the 
sailors  on  the  ocean,  take  them  for  guides,  will  undoubtedly 
reach  their  goal." 

And  another  motto  of  Schurz  may  find  a  place  here, 
as  it  is  the  key  for  his  attitude  in  all  political  questions:  "My 
Country!   When  right  keep  it  right;  when  wrong,  set  it  right!" 

In  1877  President  Hayes  selected  Schurz  for  Secretary  of 
the  Interior.  His  administration  of  this  office  was  marked  by 
energy,    integrity,    and   a  determination   to   enforce   the   laws. 

84 


CARL     SCHURZ 


At  the  same  time  he  introduced  many  reforms,  the  great 
importance  of  which  was  acknowledged  and  appreciated  only 
in  later  years.  So  for  instance  he  was  the  first  official,  who 
called  the  attention  to  the  preservation  of  our  forests  and 
other  natural  resources,  which  were  ransacked  by  rapacious 
corporations  without  the  slightest  regard  of  the  future. 

Further,  Schurz  applied  in  his  department,  immediately 
after  his  appointment,  the  methods  of  civil  service  reform. 
The  many  evils,  connected  with  the  spoils  system,  inaugurated 
under  President  Jackson,  had  under  President  Grant  grown 
to  unheard-of  proportions.  Embezzlement,  graft,  bribery  and 
all  other  forms  of  corruption  went  hand  in  hand  with  incap- 
ability and  neglect,  and  threatened  to  demoralize  the  whole 
administration.  Public  scandals,  in  which  high  officials  were 
involved,  became  daily  occurrences.  The  taint  of  dishonesty 
affecting  official  life  caused  many  able  citizens,  especially  the 
German  Americans,  to  look  upon  politics  as  something  to  be 
shunned. 

Schurz  at  once  made  good  behavior,  honesty  and  efficiency 
the  first  condition  for  all  appointments,  removals  and  promo- 
tions in  his  department.  A  board  of  inquiry,  composed  of 
three  clerks  of  the  highest  class,  was  designated  to  investigate 
and  determine  all  cases  in  regard  to  these  questions. 

This  strict  application  of  the  principles  of  the  merit  system, 
inaugurated  by  Schurz  for  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  any 
department  of  the  United  States  Government,  has  since 
become  the  criterion  of  most  of  the  succeeding  administrations. 
For  many  years  Schurz  was  a  member  and  president  of  the 
National  Civil  Service  Reform  Association,  and  in  this  cap- 
acity, by  fighting  the  spoils  system  with  all  his  determination, 
intelligence  and  patience,  he  rendered,  perhaps,  the  greatest 
service  to  this  country. 

With  equal  energy  he  devoted  his  efforts  to  the  exposure 
of  the  grave  perils  involved  in  paper  money,  the  "silver 
craze,"  and  all  other  wild  financial  schemes,  by  which  the 
basic  principles  of  sound  currency  during  the  period  from 
1860   to    1896   were  threatened. 

During  his  political  life  Schurz  firmly  maintained  a  position 
of  independence  of  judgment  and  of  action,  and  held  himself 
wholly  free  to  follow  the  dictates  of  his  conscience  and  to 
pursue  what  he  believed,  on  mature  reflection,  to  be  the  best 
policy  for  the  public  good.  Of  course  this  independence 
would  have  been  of  little  avail  had  it  not  been  accompanied, 
on  the  one  hand,  by  generally  sound  and  intelligent  judgment 
in  the  formation  of  his  opinions,  and,  on  the  other,  by  the 
very  great  powers  of  persuading  and  convincing  the  minds 
of  men.  Both  these  Schurz  had  in  an  extraordinary  degree, 
and  he  exercised  them  with  an  energy,  a  patient  persistence, 
with  an  amount  and  kind  of  skill  and  penetration  and  a  fervor 

86 


of  advocacy  that,  on  the  whole,  have  not  been  surpassed  in 
the  history  of  the  United  States  in  the  latter  half  of  the  nine- 
teenth century,  momentous  as  that  period  was  and  rich  as  was 
its  product  of  able  men.  In  the  six  volumes  of  his  speeches, 
correspondence  and  political  papers,  selected  and  edited  after 
his  death  by  the  Carl  Schurz  Memorial  Committee,  he  appears 
as  the  highest  personification  of  true  Americanism,  as  a  shining 
light,  which  served  many  of  his  contemporaries  as  a  safe  and 
reliable  guiding  star.  — 

Other  distinguished  German  leaders  of  the  1 9th  century 
were  Friedrich  Munch,  Gustav  Korner,  General  J.  A.  Wag- 
ener,  Gustav  Schleicher,  Michael  Hahn,  Johann  Bernhard 
Stallo,  Samuel  Pennypacker  and  many  others,  who  as  mem- 
bers of  Congress,  governors,  mayors,  or  in  other  high  positions 
worked  faithfully  for  the  welfare  of  our  United  States. 

One  of  the  most  remarkable  figures  in  Congress  was  at  the 
end  of  the  19th  and  at  the  beginning  of  the  20th  century 
Richard  Bartholdt  from  Missouri,  who  as  representative  of  the 
Tenth  Missouri  District  served  for  22  years.  During  this  long 
period  he  was  one  of  the  most  ardent  defenders  of  personal 
liberty. 

The  attitude  of  Bartholdt  and  of  the  whole  German  element 
on  this  question,  which  comprises  the  so-called  Temperance 
Question  and  Sunday  Observance,  has  been  denned  in  a  clear- 
cut  manner  many  times.  The  Germans  believe,  that  the  Pro- 
hibitionists do  not  keep  the  ideas  of  temperance  (moderation) 
and  prohibition  (disallowance)  apart.  Temperance  is  —  so 
the  Germans  explain  —  a  virtue,  which  should  be  acquired  by 
self-control.  It  is  practiced  and  recommended  by  the  Germans 
just  as  strongly  as  by  all  other  reasonable  men.  Prohibition, 
on  the  other  hand,  is  regarded  as  a  restriction  in  contravention 
of  the  right  of  personal  liberty  guaranteed  to  every  citizen  of 
the  Republic  by  its  Constitution.  This  restriction  is  insisted 
on  by  certain  elements,  who  have  no  understanding  nor  feeling 
for  true  liberty,  liberal  thoughts  and  the  cheerful  enjoyment 
of  life  by  others.  It  interferes  with  the  customs  and  necessities 
of  many  million  inhabitants  of  the  United  States,  who  have 
the  same  right  on  American  soil  as  those  holding  Puritan  views. 

In  regard  to  the  Sundav  question  the  German  American 
Alliance  expressed  in  1903  the  following  views:  "Sunday 
should  be  interpreted  as  a  day  of  rest  and  recreation.  Man 
was  not  made  for  the  Sabbath,  but  the  Sabbath  for  man.  The 
individual  should  be  given  perfect  liberty  to  spend  the  day  as 
he  wishes.  The  fanatic  would  suppress  all  public  life  on 
Sunday,  including  traffic,  the  selling  of  newspapers  and  the 
necessities  of  life.  The  question  of  Sunday  observance  as  a 
day  of  prayer  and  repentance  is  a  religious  one,  and  the  state 
must  remain  apart  from  the  church  in  consonance  with  the 
principles  laid   down  in   the  Constitution." 

87 


Bartholdt's  activity  during  the  22  years  of  his  service  in 
Congress  was  furthermore  devoted  to  the  improvement  of 
the  immigration  laws  and  to  the  interests  of  international 
peace.  Having  become  acquainted  in  1 899  in  Christiania, 
Norway,  with  the  Interparliamentary  Union  he  organized  in 
Congress  an  American  group  of  this  union,  was  elected  her 
president  and  held  this  position  till    1915,  when  he  returned 


RICHARD  BARTHOLDT. 

to  private  life.  It  was  through  his  influence  that  the  union 
held  in  1904  its  annual  meeting  in  St.  Louis,  which  was 
attended  by  156  delegates  from  European  countries  and  sev- 
eral hundred  delegates  of  American  republics.  Here  Bart- 
holdt  was  elected  president  of  the  Union  for  the  same  year. 
It  was  by  his  efforts,  that  the  Second  Peace  Conference  at 
The  Hague  in    1907   came  to  pass. 

His    last   great    speech    in    Congress    Barthold    delivered 

88 


on  February  19,  1915.  It  was  devoted  to  the  defense  of  the 
American  citizens  of  German  descent,  who  have  been  made 
the  objects  of  gross  insults  by  many  American  newspapers 
since  the  outbreak  of  the  European  war  for  their  sympathies 
with  the  Fatherland.  As  Bartholdt's  speech  treated  a  subject 
of  vital  interest  to  the  population  of  the  United  States,  the 
most  important  parts  may  find  here  a  place. 

"The  United  States  has  a  composite  population.  Not  Eng- 
land alone,  but  all  Europe  is  its  mother,  and  contributions  to 
the  blood  which  now  circulates  through  the  Nation's  veins 
have  been  made  by  practically  all  countries,  the  largest  share 
next  to  Great  Britain  having  been  contributed  by  Germany 
or  the  States  now  constituting  the  German  Empire.  American 
statesmen  recognized  early  in  our  history  that  ours  was  not 
a  ready  made  nation,  but  a  "nation  to  be"  whose  character 
was  to  be  shaped  by  the  impress  made  upon  it  by  the  various 
elements  constituting  its  growing  population.  It  was  also 
recognized  that  Saul  could  not  at  once  turn  into  Paul,  that 
the  newcomer  could  not  change  his  traits  overnight.  It  is 
probably  true  that  the  Anglo-Saxon  is  less  free  from  racial  or 
national  prejudices  than  the  cosmopolitan  German  —  a  strange 
phenomenon,  for  they  come  from  the  same  cradle  —  yet  such 
was  the  tolerance  of  our  older  statesmen  that  they  never 
regarded  the  love  of  the  immigrants  for  the  old  country  as  in 
any  wise  irreconcilable  with  his  allegiance  to  the  new.  And 
why?  Because  reverence  for  the  mother  never  detracts  from 
love  for  the  bride,  and,  furthermore,  because  that  reverence 
is  a  natural  impulse  which  can  no  more  be  regulated  or  con- 
trolled than  can  the  throbs  of  the  human  heart.  We  can 
educate  an  immigrant  in  our  way  of  thinking,  induce  him  to 
adopt  our  customs  and  make  a  good  American  citizen  of  him, 
but  we  cannot  change  his  heart  to  the  extent  of  eradicating 
his  regard  for  his  native  land.  Along  with  freedom  of  thought 
and  conscience  we  must  grant  him  the  liberty  of  placing  his 
sympathies  and  affections  where  he  pleases.  It  is  a  natural 
right  which  no  law  can  limit  and  no  government  can  deny  him 
as  long  as  our  own  country  is  not  involved.  American  states- 
manship had  the  choice  of  either  closing  the  gates  of  the 
country  or  of  taking  its  chances  with  the  constant  human  influx. 
It  chose  the  latter  course,  and  history  does  not  record  a  single 
instance  to  prove  that  policy  to  have  been  a  mistake.  While 
the  people  of  the  United  States  have  been  gathered  from  all 
nooks  and  corners  of  the  globe,  while  many  of  them  still  differ 
in  habits,  customs,  and  language,  and  while  on  occasions  the 
sympathies  of  the  first,  second,  and  even  third  generations  still 
go  out  to  the  land  of  their  ancestors,  no  serious  problem  has 
thereby  been  created.  Our  adopted  citizens  and  their  native 
descendants  have  stood  the  test  of  loyalty  in  every  crisis  in 
the    country's    history,    and    thus    irrefutable    proof    has    been 

89 


adduced  that  memories  of  the  Fatherland  conjured  up  by 
impulses  of  the  heart  do  not  and  will  not  detract  from  the 
allegiance  due  to  the  adopted  country. 

"Because  of  their  sympathies  with  the  Fatherland,  the  Amer- 
icans of  German  descent  have  been  openly  accused  of  divided 
allegiance  and  downright  disloyalty.  They  know  this  wanton 
insult  to  emanate  from  English  and  French  press  agents,  and 
consequently  treat  it  with  the  contempt  it  deserves.  But  what 
they  resent  is  that,  in  the  face  of  our  own  history,  the  American 
press  should  have  opened  its  columns  to  such  calumnies. 
Germans  have  fought  and  bled  on  the  battlefield  of  four 
American  wars  and  furnished  a  larger  proportion  to  the  fight- 
ing strength  of  our  country  than  any  other  of  the  so-called 
foreign  elements.  In  the  Revolutionary  War,  with  Baron  Steu- 
ben they  espoused  the  cause  of  the  Colonies,  and  the  implicit 
confidence  which  the  Father  of  our  Country  placed  in  their 
loyalty  is  a  matter  of  history.  In  1861,  when  many  of  the 
English,  with  instinctive  aversion  to  American  naturalization, 
took  out  British  protection  papers,  the  Germans  —  that  is, 
nearly  200,000  of  them  —  rallied  around  the  flag  of  Abraham 
Lincoln  to  save  the  Union.  They  displayed  the  same  valor 
in  the  War  of  1812  and  in  the  Spanish-American  War,  and 
their  loyalty  to  the  flag  in  times  of  war  is  equaled  only  by 
their  loyalty  to  American  ideals  in  times  of  peace.  I  should 
have  much  preferred  if  just  at  this  time  these  historical  truths 
had  been  uttered  by  other  than  a  German-American  tongue; 
but  while  our  pro-English  press  is  ignoring  them,  Americans 
of  German  blood  should  at  least  have  expected  immunity  from 
libels  and  insults.  Yet  such  insults  are  heaped  upon  that 
element  by  newspapers  permitting  agents  of  the  allies  to  use 
their  space  for  that  purpose.  We  can  best  judge  the  future 
by  the  past,  and  the  lessons  of  the  past  justify  me  in  proclaim- 
ing it  as  an  irrefutable  fact  that  if  unfortunately  the  United 
States  should  ever  again  be  embroiled  in  war,  which  the 
Heavens  forbid,  the  Germans  of  this  country  would  again  as 
loyally  rally  around  the  Stars  and  Stripes  as  they  did  against 
our  enemies  in  every  crisis  of  the  past.  Let  me  again  assert 
in  most  positive  terms  what  I  said  on  the  floor  the  other  day, 
that  the  Germans  are  for  America  against  England,  for 
America  against  Germany,  for  America  against  the  world! 
They  will  never  waver  for  one  second  in  their  allegiance  to 
the  land  of  their  choice  and  adoption. 

These  few  words  will  suffice,  I  trust,  to  lay  bare  the 
charge  above  referred  to  in  its  whole  naked  infamy.  But  let 
me  proceed  with  my  argument.  If  sympathy  for  Germany 
is  an  evidence  of  disloyalty,  as  is  claimed  by  our  traducers, 
you  will  agree  that  sympathy  for  the  allies  is  exactly  the  same 
thing;  and  if  that  be  true,  we  would  be  confronted  with  the 
monstrous  fact,  that  the  whole  American  press  printed  in  Eng- 
lish, with  but  few  exceptions,  is  disloyal  to  the  United  States. 

90 


It  is  absurd,  of  course,  but  I  make  this  deduction  merely  to 
show  that  I  am  not  a  less  patriotic  American  by  sympathizing 
with  the  Fatherland  and  its  ally  than  I  would  be  if  my  sym- 
pathies were  for  England  and  her  allies;  and  certainly  no  true 
American  will  claim  that  to  side  with  England  and  to  oppose 
Germany  is  a  prerequisite  of  loyal  American  citizenship,  for 
that  would  mean  both  truckling  to  a  former  enemy  and  the 
betrayal  of  a  traditional  friend,  of  course  absolutely  unjustifi- 
able by  any  standard  of  American  loyalty. 

There  is  no  question,  but  what  at  the  present  time  the 
Germans  of  this  country  are  stirred  as  they  were  never  stirred 
before.  Their  state  of  mind  manifests  itself  in  great  mass 
meetings  and  in  hundreds  of  thousands  of  petitions  addressed 
to  Congress  in  favor  of  an  embargo  on  arms.  It  would  not 
be  quite  correct,  however,  to  ascribe  the  prevailing  excitement 
solely  to  sympathy  for  Germany.  In  reality  it  is  as  much,  if 
not  more,  injured  pride  and  an  outraged  sense  of  justice  which 
have  caused  their  indignation  to  rise  because  of  the  outrageous 
prevarications  of  truth  and  the  cruel  misrepresentations  of 
Germany,  her  people,  and  institutions  contained  in  the  manu- 
factured news  from  England  and  reprinted  in  the  American 
newspapers.  Proud  of  their  American  citizenship,  they  have 
in  a  political  sense  absolutely  nothing  in  common  with 
Germany  or  its  government,  but  their  more  or  less  accurate 
knowledge  of  conditions  in  that  country  taught  them  that  the 
alleged  news  we  were  getting  was  a  brutal  attempt  at  defama- 
tion to  poison  the  American  mind  against  Germany.  The  war 
was  started  with  a  monstrous  lie,  and  in  order  to  support  it  a 
thousand  other  lies  had  to  be  told.  The  Germans  were 
denounced  as  Huns  and  barbarians,  as  ravishers  and  plunder- 
ers, and  as  perpetrators  of  the  worst  imaginable  atrocities. 
The  Emperor  was  described  as  an  Attila,  who  one  day  had 
had  1  1  0  Socialist  deputies  executed ;  the  Crown  Prince  as  a 
thief,  and  so  forth.  You  might  say  that  it  is  natural  for  enemies 
to  revile  each  other,  but  I  must  answer  that,  so  far  as  Germany 
is  concerned,  she  herself,  though  obliged  to  fight  the  lie  as 
one  of  the  worst  of  her  many  enemies,  has  not  yet  stooped 
to  a  departure  from  the  truth  either  in  her  own  newspapers 
or  in  the  messages  she  has  sent  out  to  the  world. *)  And  permit 
me  to  add  parenthetically  that  to  the  neutral  world  the  present 
struggle  has  an  enhanced  significance  in  that  it  is  also  a  warfare 


*)This  fact  has  been  acknowledged  by  several  American  papers.  We 
quote  here  the  following  remarks  of  the  New  York  American: 

"We  are  bound  to  say  one  thing  about  the  German  press.  The 
serious  and  dignified  tone  in  which  the  German  newspapers  have 
invariably  discussed  the  progress  and  the  problems  of  the  war  is  an 
example  which  the  American  press  might  follow  with  benefit  to  itself 
and  to  the  public. 

We  do  no  see  in  any  German  newspaper  opprobrious  epithets 
applied  to  the  American  people.  We  do  not  see  any  cartoons  ridiculing 


91 


of  falsehood  against  truth.  If  the  international  lie  should 
succeed,  I  believe  the  world  would  eventually  suffocate  in 
its  slime. 

The  Germans  of  this  country  could  understand  why  Eng- 
land to  secure  recruits  should  want  to  incite  her  own  people 
by  these  falsehoods,  but  they  could  not  understand  nor  will 
they  forgive  the  American  newspapers  for  reprinting  them  in 
our  country.  To  do  so  was  a  most  serious  and  unpardonable 
reflection  on  the  German  element  of  this  country.  As  an 
integral  part  of  the  American  people,  whose  characteristics 
and  virtues  are  reflected  as  much  in  the  composite  character 
of  this  Nation  as  are  those  of  the  citizens  of  English  descent, 
they  believed  themselves  to  be  entitled  to  some  consideration 
at  the  hands  of  the  press  of  their  own  country.  Such  con- 
sideration was  denied  them,  however,  and  with  utter  disregard 
of  their  feelings  they  were  rudely  informed  that  their  brothers 
on  the  other  side  of  the  ocean  are  barbarians,  ghouls,  and 
vandals,  and  that  is  not  all.  From  the  first  day  of  the  war 
up  to  the  present  whatever  the  allies  did  was  right,  while  every 
act  of  the  Germans  was  all  wrong,  even  if  it  was  an  exactly 
similar  thing;  for  instance,  the  dropping  of  explosives  from 
aeroplanes.  The  alleged  violation  of  Belgian  neutrality  was 
harped  upon  with  sickening  persistence  even  after  it  had  been 
ascertained  that  the  neutrality  treaty  had  expired  in  1872,  and 
that,  if  it  had  still  been  in  force,  the  Belgian  Government  had 
itself  thrown  it  overboard  by  its  secret  agreement  with  Eng- 
land regarding  the  landing  of  English  troops  on  Belgian  soil. 
On  the  other  hand,  not  a  word  is  said  about  the  violation  of 
Chinese  neutrality  by  Japanese  and  English  troops,  although 
this  matter  is  of  infinitely  greater  consequence  to  American 
interests  than  the  affairs  of  Belgium  can  possibly  be.  The 
present  international  status  of  China  is  due  to  the  skill  of 
American  statesmanship,  it  being  an  achievement  of  John  Hay, 
made  possible  by  the  support  of  Germany  alone.  The  integrity 
of  China,  already  violated  by  England  and  her  ally,  should 
be  restored  and  maintained  at  all  hazards,  but  we  look  in  vain 
for  any  appeals  in  the  press  in  favor  of  the  conservation  of 
American  interests  in  that  quarter.  It  might  embarrass  Eng- 
land, you  know,  if  just  now  the  press  insisted  on  our  own 
rights.    As  to  Belgian  atrocities,  five  American  newspaper  men 


or  picturing  the  President  of  the  United  States  as  a  ruffian  and 
murderer. 

In  fact,  we  have  not  seen  in  any  German  newspaper  a  single  word 
or  a  single  picture  which  was  intended  to  express  hatred  or  contempt 
or  bitterness  against  America. 

In  the  face  of  the  bitter  and  ugly  and  vulgar  and  unmanly  billings- 
gate, abuse  and  pictorial  ridicule  and  hatred  heaped  by  so  many  of 
our  newspapers  upon  the  German  people  and  the  German  government, 
we  are  bound  to  say,  in  common  fairness,  that  the  dignity  and  self- 
control  of  the  German  press  are  highly  to  its  credit." 

92 


of  the  highest  standing  affirmed  under  oath  that  there  was 
no  such  thing,  yet  these  alleged  atrocities  are  presented  to 
American  readers  in  glaring  headlines,  while  the  authentic 
refutation  of  the  stories  is  published  in  small  type  on  the  six- 
teenth or  seventeenth  page.  We  may  be  foolish,  but  we  are 
not  blind  to  such  notorious  evidences  of  partiality.  The 
Americans  of  German  blood  are  a  unit  in  bitterly  resenting 
not  only  these  unneutral  efforts  to  poison  the  fountainheads 
of  American  public  opinion  against  Germany  but  also  the 
palpably  unneutral  "most-favored-riation"  treatment  system- 
atically accorded  to  Great  Britain.  Touching  the  last-named 
fact,  it  seems  to  them  as  if  we  were  using  kid  gloves  against 
England  and  the  mailed  fist  against  Germany,  as  if,  indeed, 
everything  was  being  avoided,  even  to  the  disregard  of  Amer- 
ican interests,  that  might  embarrass  the  former  country  in  her 
effort  to  crush  Germany. 

The  bill  of  complaints  is  too  long  to  recite  here  in  full,  but  let 
me  merely  ask:  Have  we  protested  against  American  citizens 
having  been  dragged  from  neutral  steamers  and  thrown  into 
English  prisons  simply  because  those  men,  Americans  to  the 
manner  born,  happened  to  bear  German  names?  No.  Have  we 
protested  against  England's  inhuman  policy  to  starve  to  death 
the  noncombatant  population  of  Germany,  by  stopping,  in 
open  violation  of  international  law,  all  food  supplies,  even  if 
carried  from  a  neutral  country  and  in  neutral  bottoms?  No. 
Have  we  protested  against  England  declaring  the  whole  North 
Sea  as  a  war  zone?  No;  but  when  Germany  did  the  same  thing 
in  practically  the  same  language  we  immediately  dispatched  a 
stiff  note  to  Berlin,  while  the  milder  one  was  directed  to  Eng- 
land, though  it  would  seem  that  the  latter  country  was  the 
chief  offender  in  allowing  the  use  of  false  flags.  However, 
whatever  the  administration  does  in  foreign  affairs,  as  Amer- 
icans it  will  be  our  duty  to  uphold  it. 

After  this  explanation  can  you  understand,  Mr.  Chairman 
and  gentlemen  of  the  House,  why  the  German  mind  in  this 
country  is  agitated,  and  can  you  blame  that  element  if  its 
feelings  are  ruffled?  When,  moreover,  it  dawned  upon  them 
that  all  our  arms  factories  were  running  night  and  day  to 
supply  the  allies  with  weapons  for  use  against  their  brothers 
and  kinsmen,  nothing  could  convince  them  that  the  United 
States  was  not  actually  a  silent  partner  of  the  allies.  Then 
it  was  that  they  demanded,  and  they  are  still  demanding  an 
embargo  on  arms  to  enforce  honest  neutrality,  the  kind  of 
neutrality  which  the  President  proclaimed  when  he  said:  "We 
should  be  neutral  in  fact  as  well  as  in  name,  and  should  put 
a  curb  on  every  transaction  which  might  be  construed  as 
giving  a  preference  to  one  party  to  the  struggle  above 
another."  This  shameful  traffic  in  arms,  they  argue,  gives  the 
lie  to  our  prayers  for  peace,  because  it  tends  to  prolong  the 
war,    and   its   permission   by   international   law,    they   believe, 

93 


imposes  no  obligation  on  our  citizens  to  carry  it  on,  no  more 
on  us  than  on  the  other  neutral  countries  which  have  all 
stopped  it  upon  the  demand  of  England  herself.  I  should  like 
to  discuss  this  important  question  at  length,  if  my  time  per- 
mitted, but  let  me  say  just  one  more  word.  Whether  the 
President  would  use  the  authority  or  not,  there  ought  to  be  a 
law  on  our  statute  books  which  confers  such  authority  upon 
him  in  order  that  he  might  enforce  his  demands  for  a  free  and 
open  sea  and  unrestricted  commerce  in  noncontraband  goods. 
In  our  present  demands  against  England  our  only  alternative 
is  either  to  give  in  or  declare  war.  The  threat  of  an  embargo 
on  arms,  however,  would  quickly  bring  the  "Mistress  of  the 
Seas"  to  terms  and  without  war.  Hence  the  legislation 
demanded  by  what  the  pro-English  press  is  pleased  to  call 
German  mass  meetings,  will  be  a  preventive  of,  rather  than  a 
provocation  to  war  with  England,  and  thus  falls  to  the  ground 
another  of  the  silly  charges  preferred  by  the  press  bureau  of 
the  allies  against  me  and  the  several  millions  of  American 
citizens  who  think  as  I  do  on  this  subject. 

Continuing  as  an  interpreter  of  the  feelings  of  these  millions, 
all  good  American  citizens,  permit  me  to  say  that  the  hostility 
of  the  Anglo-American  press  against  Germany  and  the  Ger- 
mans has  forced  many  to  a  conclusion  which,  if  correct,  would 
be  the  most  painful  disappointment  of  my  life.  They  believe 
this  attitude  to  be  less  pro-English  than  anti-German,  and, 
indeed,  regard  it  as  the  outgrowth  of  racial  prejudice  against 
the  Germans  even  of  this  country,  and  as  a  revival  of  the  old 
Know-nothing  spirit  which  aimed  at  a  sort  of  guardianship  by 
those  of  English  descent  over  this  country,  to  the  exclusion  of 
all  other  elements,  the  latter  to  be  classed  simply  as  "foreign- 
ers," and  degraded  to  the  rank  of  second-class  citizens.  How 
could  such  a  conclusion  be  reached?  Well,  they  ask  whether 
the  history  of  the  American  Germans  has  not  been  an  honor- 
able one.  They  fought  for  independence,  opposed  slavery, 
and  loyally  gave  their  bodies  and  lives  that  the  Union  might 
live ;  they  were  almost  a  unit  for  sound  money,  and  are  imbued 
with  the  true  American  spirit  of  freedom  to  such  an  extent 
that  they  love  liberty  better  than  whatever  good  might  come 
from  its  restriction.  As  a  rule,  they  modestly  refrained  from 
seeking  political  preferment,  but  filled  America's  life  with 
music  and  song  and  innocent  social  pleasures.  They  are 
peaceful  and  law-abiding  citizens,  who  by  industry  and  thrift 
have  made  the  best  of  the  opportunities  which  the  country 
of  their  choice  generously  offered  them,  and  thus  they  have 
contributed  their  honest  share  to  the  growth,  the  development, 
and  the  grandeur  of  the  Republic.  If  such  a  record  of  good 
citizenship  is  not  sufficient,  it  is  argued,  to  insure  the  German 
element  immunity  from  libels  and  insults,  what  else  can 
account  for  it  but  racial  aversion,  the  innate  prejudice  of  the 
Anglo-Saxon  against  everything  foreign? 

94 


There  should  never  be  a  division  in  the  United  btates  upon 
racial  or  national  lines.  Under  the  American  sun,  in  their 
capacity  as  citizens,  the  Teuton  and  the  Slav,  the  Irishman  and 
the  Englishman,  the  German  and  the  Frenchman  extend  to 
each  other  the  hand  of  brotherhood  as  equals,  and  the  great 
flag  covers  them  all.  Ancient  prejudices  have  melted  away 
under  the  sun  of  freedom  until,  no  longer  English,  Irish, 
German,  Scandinavian,  we  are,  one  and  all,  heart  and  soul, 
Americans! 

In  conclusion  let  me  reiterate  the  steadfast  devotion  of  all 
citizens  of  German  blood  to  American  ideals  and  the  flag. 
Impatient  of  injustice  though  they  be,  their  hearts  are  true  to 
the  core.  They  feel  themselves  as  one  with  every  other  citizen 
of  the  Republic,  and  they  will  share  the  fate  of  their  adopted 
country  and  of  their  children's  fatherland.  Whatever  their 
secondary  sympathies  may  be,  they  are  with  all  other  true 
Americans  for  America  first,  last,  and  all  the  time.  They  are 
for  a  united  Nation,  and  shall  ever  uphold  the  ideal  of  national 
unity  and  dignity  with  that  loyalty  which  has  characterized 
their  whole  history  on  American  soil." 


The  German  Americans  during  the 
Wars  of  the  19th  Century. 

Splendid  as  had  been  the  proofs  of  loyalty  to  their  adopted 
country  shown  by  the  Germans  during  the  War  for  Independ- 
ence, equally  impressive  evidence  is  found  in  the  staunch 
support  invariably  extended  by  them  to  this  country  in  the 
wars  in  which  the  United  States  was  involved  during  the  19  th 
Century. 

When  the  British  in  1812  had  captured  the  city  of  Wash- 
ington and  burned  the  Capitol,  the  Executive  Mansion,  the 
Treasury,  the  State  and  War  Department  as  well  as  many 
other  buildings,  they  also  set  out  to  take  Baltimore.  It  was 
then,  in  the  defense  of  the  city,  that  two  Americans  of  German 
origin  took  the  most  prominent  part.  The  commander  of 
the  militia  was  General  Johann  Strieker,  born  at  Frederick, 
Maryland,  in  1  759. 

The  enemy  having  landed  at  North  Point,  he  led  his  men 
against  him  in  a  running  skirmish,  in  which  General  Ross,  the 
British  commander,  was  killed. 

Fort  McHenry,  protecting  the  harbor  of  Baltimore,  was 
gallantly  defended  by  Major  George  Armistead,  the  son  of 
Johann  Armstadt,  a  Hessian,  living  in  New  Market,  Va.  It 
was  in  the  morning  of  September  12,  1814,  when  the  British 
fleet,  consisting  of  sixteen  frigates,  opened  a  terrific  bombard- 
ment on  the  fort,  which  was  held  by  a  garrison  of  one  thou- 
sand men.  The  cannonade  lasted  for  36  hours.  It  was  on 
the  waning  of  that  memorable  night  of  the  1  2th  to  the  1  3th, 
that  Francis  S.  Key,  while  detained  on  board  of  a  British  ship, 
watched  during  the  long  hours,  anxiously  asking: 

"Oh  say  can   you  see,   by  the  dawn's  early  light, 
What  so  proudly  we  hail'd  at  the  twilight's  last  gleaming." 

That  the  star  spangled  banner  still  waved,  was  due  to  the 
bravery  of  the  noble  defender  of  Fort  McHenry  and  his  men. 
They  answered  the  terrific  fire  of  the  enemy  so  effectually, 
that  on  the  morning  of  the  1  4th  the  fleet  withdrew,  without 
having   attained   any  success. 

*      *      *      * 

In  the  war  with  Mexico,  during  the  years  1846  and  1847, 
many  Germans  also  served  with  great  distinction.  Among 
them  were  numerous  officers,  who  had  been  active  in  the  old 
Fatherland  and,  later  on,  during  the  Civil  War  and  the  Indian 

96 


Wars,   came  to  great  renown;   as  for  instance  August  Mohr, 
von   Gilsea,    August   V.    Kautz,   Samuel   Peter   Heinzelmann 

and  others. 

The  most  dashing  soldier  of  German  origin  in  the  Mexican 
War  was,  however,  Johann  Anton  Quitman,  the  son  of  Fried - 
rich  Anton  Quitman,  a  Lutheran  minister  at  Rhinebeck-on-the- 
Hudson.  Born  in  1  798,  Quitman  had  emigrated  to  the  South- 
west, where  he  took  part  in  the  struggles  of  Texas,  striving  to 
separate  herself   from  Mexico. 

When  in  1 846  the  war  with  Mexico  broke  out,  Quitman 
was  made  a  Brigadier-General.  With  greatest  distinction  he 
fought  at  Monterey,  and  it  was  he,  who  at  the  head  of  his 
soldiers  reached  as  the  first  the  market  place  of  the  hotly 
defended  city.  He  also  raised  the  victorious  American  flag 
on  the  tower  of  a  church. 

During  spring  of  1847  Quitman  was  in  command  of  the 
land  batteries,  which  in  conjunction  with  the  American  fleet 
bombarded  Vera  Cruz  and  compelled  this  strongly  fortified 
city  to  surrender. 

Also  he  distinguished  himself  at  Cerro  Jordo,  after  which 
engagement  he  was  brevetted  Major-General,  and  was  voted 
a  sword  of  honor  by  Congress  for  gallantry.  On  September 
1  3th  he  stormed  with  his  men  the  old  fortress  of  the  Monte- 
zumas,  Chapultepec,  which  the  Mexicans  believed  to  be 
impregnable.  On  the  following  day  he  opened  the  bombard- 
ment of  the  City  of  Mexico,  effecting  an  entrance  on  the  1  5  th. 

In  appreciation  of  his  gallant  service  General  Scott  appoin- 
ted Quitman  governor  of  the  city,  which  position  he  held  till 
order  was  established.  Several  years  later  he  was  elected 
governor  of  Mississippi.  Elected  to  Congress  by  large  majori- 
ties, he  served  from   1855  to   1858,  the  year  of  his  death. 


Historians,  who  studied  the  part  taken  by  the  Germans  in 
our  Revolutionary  War,  have  not  hesitated  to  declare  that  the 
independence  of  the  United  States  would  probably  not  have 
been  attained  without  the   patriotic  support  of  that  element. 

There  is  also  good  reason  to  doubt,  whether  without  its 
loyal  aid  the  preservation  of  our  national  unity  would  have 
been  possible. 

That  the  Germans  were  opposed  to  all  forms  of  oppression 
and  that  in  their  agitation  against  slavery  they  overshadowed 
all  foreign-born  citizens,  has  been  shown  in  former  chapters. 
Consistent  with  such  sentiment  the  overwhelming  majority  of 
the  Germans  gave  aid  to  the  North,  convinced  that  the  future 
of  the  whole  country  depended  on  the  preservation  of  the 
Union.  And  so  thousands  and  thousands  of  Germans  com- 
bined,   firmly   resolved    that   slavery   must   be   abolished    and 

97 


that  not  one  of  them  would  permit  a  single  star  to  be  ruthlessly 
torn  from  the  blue  field  of  the  nation's  glorious  banner. 

How  many  Germans  and  German  Americans  hurried  to  the 
arms,  in  order  that  the  stars  and  stripes  might  continue  to 
wave   intact 

"O'er  the  land  of  the  free  and  the  home  of  the  brave" 
cannot  be  told  with  absolute  correctness,  as  during  the  bitter 
conflict  between  the  North  and  the  South  no  statistics  about 
the  nationality  or  extraction  of  the  soldiers  were  kept.  Not 
before  1 869  was  any  attempt  made  to  answer  proximately 
this  interesting  question.  From  investigations,  made  by  Dr. 
B.  A.  Gould,  it  appears,  that  of  the  2,018,200  white  soldiers 
who  fought  for  the  Union,  45,508  were  English,  144,221 
Irish  and  176,817  Germans.  William  Kaufmann,  author  of 
the  valuable  work,  entitled:  "Die  Deutschen  im  amerikanischen 
Biirgerkriege,"  believes,  however,  that  the  volunteers  born 
in  Germany,  numbered  roundly  not  less  than  216,000.  It 
appears  thus  that  the  contingent,  furnished  to  the  armies  of 
the  North  by  the  Germans,  was  far  greater  than  that  of  any 
other  nationality.  To  the  above  number  must  be  added  many 
hundred  thousand  men  of  German  origin  included  in  those 
1,523,207    soldiers    who    registered    as    "native    Americans." 

How  considerable  must  have  been  the  quota  of  Germans 
among  these  men,  may  be  judged  from  the  number  of  mem- 
bers contributed  to  the  Northern  armies  by  the  well-known 
family  Pennypacker,  descendents  of  Heinrich  Panneb acker, 
a  German  who  immigrated  in  1 699  and  settled  on  the 
Shippack  Creek  in  Eastern  Pennsylvania.  This  family  was 
represented  by  2  major-generals,  1  lieutenant-general,  1 
colonel,  2  physicians,  2  captains,  1  lieutenant,  5  sergeants, 
8  corporals,  1  musician  and  65  common  soldiers;  in  all  88 
men. 

The  great  value  of  the  contingent  of  the  Germans,  born 
abroad,  was  increased  by  the  fact,  that  large  numbers  of  them, 
especially  the  officers,  of  whom  there  were  more  than  5000, 
had  received  practical  training  in  the  military  academies  and 
in  the  armies  of  their  fatherland.  The  participation  of  so 
many  efficient  officers  and  soldiers  was  of  immeasurable 
importance  to  the  North,  for  at  the  outbreak  of  the  war  the 
Confederates  had  far  the  greater  number  of  officers  who  had 
received  their  training  at  West  Point. 

Like  in  all  former  wars  so  the  Germans  inspiringly  demon- 
strated their  loyalty  in  many  ways.  As  early  as  January  9, 
1861,  Karl  Leopold  Mathies,  who  later  on  became  a  general, 
offered  to  the  Union  a  company  of  soldiers,  the  whole  equip- 
ment of  which  he  paid  from  his  own  purse.  Equally  generous 
was  Dr.  Karl  Beck,  professor  at  Harvard,  when  his  request  for 
his  own  enlistment  had  been  refused  in  view  of  his  age,  which 
was  60  years. 

98 


And  when  President  Lincoln,  on  April  15,  issued  his  first 
call  for  volunteers,  the  Germans  responded  in  masses.  Not 
more  than  three  days  thereafter  1200  Germans  in  Cincinnati 
stood  ready  to  march.  It  was  the  "Ninth  Regiment  of  Ohio," 
which  for  its  gallant  service  won  distinction  and  fame.  In 
addition  the  Germans  of  Ohio  formed  the  regiments  No.  1  1 , 
28,  37,  47,  58,  67,  74,  106,  107,  108  and  165.  Also  the 
third  regiment  of  cavalry  and  three  batteries. 

In  New  York  the  Germans  were  not  less  enthusiastic.  The 
Turners  formed  the  regiment  "United  Turner  Rifles,"  whose 
entire  outfit  was  donated  by  German  citizens.  Other  German 
regiments  were  the  Steuben  Regiment;  the  1st  German  Rifles; 
the  1st  Astor  Regiment;  the  5th  German  Rifles;  the  Fremont 
Regiment;  the  Sigel  Rifles;  the  54th  Regiment  of  Schwarze 
Jaeger;  the  86th  Regiment  or  Steuben  Rangers;  furthermore 
the  Dickels  Mounted  Rifles;  the  4th  New  York  Cavalry;  and 
Blenker's   Battery. 

The  Germans  of  Pennsylvania  formed  the  regiments  74  and 
75,  besides  furnishing  strong  contingents  to  numerous  other 
regiments.  In  Indiana  the  36th  regiment  was  entirely  German; 
in  Illinois  the  24th  and  the  82nd.  The  43rd  regiment  con- 
sisted entirely  of  the  sons  of  "Latin  Farmers"  of  Belleville. 
The  Germans  of  Wisconsin  were  represented  by  the  9th  and 
26th  regiment  of  that  state;  the  Germans  of  Missouri  in  the 
1st,  2nd,  3rd,  4th,  5th,  12th,  15th,  17th,  39th,  40th  and 
4  1  st   regiment. 

This  splendid  response  aroused  in  all  Northern  states  bound- 
less enthusiasm.  Augustus  Choate  Hamlin,  Lieutenant-Colonel 
and  historian  of  the  1  1  th  army-corps,  writes  in  his  remark- 
able work  "The  battle  of  Chancellorsville" :  "The  country 
rejoiced  with  great  joy  when  it  became  known  that  the  entire 
German  population  of  the  North  rallied  without  hesitation  to 
the  support  of  the  endangered  Republic.  The  support  was 
magnificent,  and  deserving  the  highest  gratitude  of  the  country. 
It  is  also  remarkable  that  all  of  the  revolutionists  then  in  this 
country,  and  who  had  followed  Kossuth,  Garibaldi,  Sigel  and 
Hecker,  should  offer  their  services  to  the  United  States.  It  was, 
indeed,  a  grand  sight,  when  the  entire  mass  of  German-speak- 
ing and  German-born  people  rose  as  a  man  and  stood  firmly 
by  the  flag  of  the  Republic.  What  would  have  been  the  fate 
of  Missouri,  Illinois  and  Indiana,  at  the  commencement  of 
the  war,  had  it  not  been  for  the  patriotic  efforts  of  Sigel,  Oster- 
haus,  Schurz  and  Hecker,  and  their  resolute  German  follow- 
ers? Has  the  country  yet  recognized  the  importance  and  the 
full  weight  of  these  facts?  Missouri  certainly  would  have  drifted 
away  with  the  Southern  tide,  had  it  not  been  for  the  influence 
and  resistance  of  these  gallant  men.  The  Germans  were  the 
first  to  take  up  arms  and  attempt  to  save  the  state.  The  first 
three  loyal  regiments  raised  in  St.  Louis  were  Germans  almost 

99 


to  a  man,  and  when  the  Home  Guards  of  Missouri  were  first 
formed,  none  but  Germans  joined  them.  This  movement  on 
the  part  of  the  Germans  was  of  vast  aid  to  the  Northern  cause, 
and  contributed  greatly  to  its  final  success,  and  its  influence 
and  its  value  cannot  be  estimated  with  the  gold  of  the  nation." 
Of  the  officers  of  German  birth  or  origin  many  attained  the 
highest  military  honors  and  degrees.  Inseparably  connected 
with  the  history  of  this  great  war  are  the  names  of  the  Major- 
Generals  Peter  Osterhaus,  Karl  Schurz,  Franz  Sigel,  Julius 
Stahel,  Samuel  Peter  Heinzelmann,  August  Kautz,  G.  Penny- 
packer,  Friedrich  Salomon,  and  Gottfried  Weitzel.  Also  the 
names  of  the  Generals  Ammen,  Louis  Blenker,  Louis  von 
Blessing,  Heinrich  von  Bohlen,  Adolf  Buschbeck,  Adolf 
Hassendeubel,  Friedrich  Hecker,  J.  H.  Heinzelmann,  Knobels- 
dorff,  Johann  A.  Koltes,  William  C.  KufTner,  Konrad  Krez, 
Karl  Leopold  Mathies,  August  Mohr,  Julius  Raith,  Prince 
Felix  Salm-Salm.  Karl  Eberhard  Salomon,  Georg  von  Schack, 
Alexander  von  Schimmelpfennig,  Alban  Schopf,  Alexander 
von  Schrader,  Schriver,  Schiras,  Adolf  von  Steinwehr,  Louis 
Wagner,  Hugo  Wangelin,  Max  Weber,  August  Willich,  Isaak 
Wister  and  others. 

The  limited  size  of  this  volume  forbids  a  recital  of  all  gallant 
services  performed  by  these  Germans  during  the  Civil  War. 
We  can  mention  only  a  few.  First  of  all  it  should  be  remem- 
bered, that  on  April  18,  1861,  three  days  after  the  fall  of 
Fort  Sumter,  when  the  whole  administration  was  in  consterna- 
tion, 530  Pennsylvania  Germans  rallied  round  the  flag  and 
entered  Washington,  to  shield  the  capital  from  a  threatening 
assault  of  the  Secessionists.  This  resolute  step  and  the  fact, 
that  the  German  Turners  of  Baltimore  declared  for  the  Union, 
kept  Washington  and  the  wavering  State  of  Maryland  from 
the   hands   of  the  Confederates. 

The  State  of  Missouri,  the  most  important  of  all  the  uncer- 
tain border  states,  was  also  saved  for  the  Union  by  German 
volunteers.  The  situation  here  was  most  critical,  as  in  the 
city  of  St.  Louis  was  located  the  great  United  States  Arsenal 
of  the  West,  containing  the  arms  and  amunition  for  at  least 
40,000  to  50,000  soldiers.  Floyd  of  Virginia,  while  Secretary 
of  War  preceding  Lincoln's  administration,  had  stocked  this 
arsenal  to  its  utmost  capacity  in  the  expectation  that  it  would 
certainly  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  South.  His  hope  in  this 
respect  was  strengthened,  when  Governor  Jackson  of  Missouri 
manifested  the  stand  he  would  take  in  his  reply  to  President 
Lincoln's  requisition  for  Missouri's  quota  of  the  first  call  for 
troops  with  the  defying  words:  "Your  requisition,  in  my  judg- 
ment, is  illegal,  unconstitutional,  and  revolutionary  in  its 
object;  inhuman  and  diabolic,  and  cannot  be  complied  with." 

It  was  during  this  time,  when  the  magnitude  of  the  danger 
threatening  the  country  was  barely  realized,  that  the  German 

101 


Turners  of  St.  Louis  passed  a  resolution  by  which  the  Turn- 
Verein  was  dissolved,  and  in  its  stead  a  military  organization 
formed  to  guard  the  Union  and  to  sacrifice  life  and  property, 
if  necessary,  to  keep  the  county  of  St.  Louis  loyal  to  the  admin- 
istration in  case  the  State  of  Missouri  should  decide  to  secede. 

When  it  became  known,  that  the  Secessionists  planned  an 
assault  on  the  arsenal,  the  Germans  of  St.  Louis  quickly  formed 
four  companies  of  volunteers  under  the  command  of  their 
leaders  Blair,  Lyon,  Sigel,  Osterhaus,  Schaefer  and  Schuett- 
ner.  Then  they  took  possession  of  the  arsenal,  and  also  cap- 
tured on  May  10,  1861,  one  thousand  Secessionists,  who  had 
assembled  at  Camp  Jackson  near  the  southern  part  of  the  city, 
to  seize  the  arsenal. 

Among  the  higher  German  officers  the  most  prominent 
were  Osterhaus,  Sigel  and  Schurz,  conspicuous  types  all  three 
of  those  champions  of  liberty,  who  upon  the  failure  of  the 
German  revolution  of  1  848  came  to  America  as  political  exiles. 

Peter  Osterhaus  had  become  a  citizen  of  Belleville,  111. 
When  the  situation  became  critical  in  Missouri,  he  took  an 
active  part  in  organizing  the  German  volunteers  of  St.  Louis 
and  in  the  capture  of  the  arsenal  and  Camp  Jackson.  He  was 
valiantly  engaged  in  the  battles  at  Wilsons  Creek  and  Pea 
Ridge  as  well  as  in  the  campaign  against  Vicksburg.  During 
the  terrific  struggle  at  Chatanooga  in  November  1863  he  com- 
manded the  first  division  of  General  Grant's  army  corps  and 
won  glory  in  the  famous  "Battle  among  the  Clouds''  on  Look- 
out Mountain.  After  fighting  for  hours,  his  troops  ascended 
step  by  step  the  steep  and  rough  mountain  side,  through  deep 
gullies  and  ravines,  over  great  rocks  and  fallen  trees,  until, 
reaching  the  earth-works  of  the  enemy  on  top  of  the  mountain, 
they  carried  his  positions  one  and  all. 

Subsequently  Osterhaus  was  with  his  troops  in  the  daring 
assault  on  Missionary  Ridge.  Here  he  defeated  the  southern 
wing  of  the  enemy,  making  many  thousands  of  prisoners.  As 
commander  of  a  strong  division  Osterhaus  participated  also 
in  Sherman's  famous  "March  through  Georgia."  Later  on  he 
was  chief  of  staff  to  General  Canby  during  the  Mobile  cam- 
paign and   at   the  surrender  of  General  Kirby  Smith's  army. 

Franz  Sigel,  who  in  1  848  had  been  general  of  a  revolution- 
ary army  in  Baden,  was  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War  a 
citizen  of  St.  Louis.  During  the  occupation  of  the  arsenal 
and  the  capture  of  Camp  Jackson  he  was  one  of  the  leaders. 
These  feats  accomplished,  he  fought  as  commander  of  several 
regiments  and  batteries  in  Missouri  and  gained  on  March  6, 
1862,  with  General  Curtis  against  overwhelming  forces  the 
glorious  victory  at  Pea  Ridge,  Arkansas.  The  battle  lasted  for 
three  days.  The  decision  came,  when  Sigel  ordered  his  regi- 
ments to  fall  back  behind  the  lines  of  artillery,  as  if  preparing 
for  retreat,  while  the  artillery  fired  only  blank  shots,  as  if  short 

102 


of  ammunition.  Deceived  by  the  ruse,  the  Confederates,  sure 
of  victory,  advanced  in  close  formation.  But  at  once  Sigel's 
regiments  re-entered  their  positions  between  the  batteries  and, 
supported  by  the  heavy  guns,  opened  a  rapid  fire  on  the 
enemies,  who  thus  surprised,  were  thrown  into  confusion.  At 
this  moment  Sigel's  cavalry  dashed  amidst  their  lines,  slashing 
down  all  who  had  been  spared  by  the  bullets. 


MONUMENT   TO   FRANZ  SIGEL   IN   NEW   YORK. 
(Modelled  by  Karl  Bitter). 

Promoted  to  the  rank  of  major-general,  Sigel  afterwards 
was  ordered  to  Virginia.  At  Bull  Run  he  commanded  the 
right  wing  of  Pope's  1st  army  corps  and  won  on  August  29 
a  decided  advantage  over  Jackson.  This  success,  though, 
was  fruitless,  as  on  the  following  day  Pope's  regiments  were 
defeated  by  the  enemy's  forces,  vastly  superior  in  number. 
Sigel  covered  the  retreat  in  masterly  fashion,  preventing  a 
general   rout. 

103 


After  this  battle  Sigel  commanded  several  army-corps  in 
Pennsylvania,  suffered  at  New  Market  a  defeat  by  over- 
whelming forces,  but  made  good  again  by  repelling  obstinate 
attacks  on  Harper's  Ferry  and   the  Maryland   Heights. 

Like  all  other  German  officers  Sigel  was  greatly  hampered 
by  the  petty  jealousy  and  disdain  of  the  American  comrades 
in  arms.  Especially  reprehensible  in  this  regard  was  the 
conduct  of  those  who  were  graduates  of  West  Point.  Of 
this  circumstance  Lieutenant-Colonel  Hamlin,  the  historian  of 
the  1  1  th  army-corps,  in  one  of  his  works  records  a  bitter 
complaint.  Sigel  felt  himself  in  his  operations  so  much  hindered 
by  such  jealous  men,  that  he  resigned  in  May  1 865  and 
returned  to  private  life. 

Similar  were  the  experiences  of  Carl  Schurz,  who  had  been 
appointed  brigadier-general  in  the  army  of  the  Potomac, 
which,  however,  in  consequence  of  a  continual  change  of 
commanders-in-chief,  one  unfit  man  following  on  the  heels  of 
another,  went  from  defeat  to  defeat.  The  most  serious  were 
those  at  Bull  Run,  Fredericksburg  and  Chancellorsville.  At 
Chancellorsville  the  division  of  Schurz,  together  with  those 
of  Adolf  von  Steinwehr  and  General  Devens,  formed  the  1  1  th 
corps,  which  under  command  of  General  Howard,  held  the 
right  wing  of  General  Hooker's  army.  In  the  morning  of 
May  2,  1863,  Schurz,  Steinwehr  and  other  German  officers 
discovered  that  the  enemy,  feigning  a  retreat,  was  preparing 
to  turn  the  right  wing  of  the  Federal  army.  Without  loss  of 
time  Schurz  and  Steinwehr  informed  headquarters  of  these 
suspicious  movements,  urgently  requesting  leave  to  take  timely 
counter-action.  But  Hooker,  believing  that  the  enemy  was  in 
full  retreat,  did  nothing  to  protect  the  threatened  wing. 
Schurz  now  on  his  own  responsibility  ordered  his  regiments  to 
take  up  positions  fronting  toward  the  West,  from  where  he 
anticipated  an  attack.  It  came  at  5  o'clock  in  the  afternoon, 
when  suddenly  18,000  Confederates,  commanded  by  the  able 
General  Stonewall  Jackson,  burst  from  the  forests  and  over- 
ran the  division  of  General  Devens.  It  was  swept  away  in 
wild  disorder,  threatening  to  carry  with  it  the  German  regi- 
ments. These,  however,  only  3000  strong,  made  the  most 
strenuous  efforts  to  stem  the  assault.  It  was  pending  these 
efforts  that  Colonel  Friedrich  Hecker,  one  of  the  men  of  1848, 
was  wounded  seriously  as  he  led  his  troops  to  a  charge,  carry- 
ing the  flag  of  his  82d  Illinois  Regiment  in  hand.  The  situation 
became  still  more  critical  when  the  enemies  appeared  also 
in  the  rear,  compelling  the  Germans  to  withdraw  to  better 
positions.  But  here  their  resistance  was  so  obstinate,  that  the 
further  advance  of  the  Confederates  came  to  a  standstill. 

Among  the  officers,  who  fought  here  like  heroes,  were 
Colonel  Buschbeck,  and  Captain  Hubert  Dilger,  whose  battery 

104 


was  most  effectual  in  blocking   Stonewall  Jackson,   who  for- 
feited his  own  life  for  his  victory. 

The  German  regiments  of  Schurz  and  von  Steinwehr  held 
also  in  the  battle  at  Gettysburg  the  most  exposed  positions, 
namely  on  the  famous  Cemetery  Ridge,  the  strategic  import- 
ance of  which  Steinwehr  had  first  recognized.  The  battle, 
the  bloodiest  of  the  whole  war,  lasted  for  three  days  and 
culminated  on  July  3,  1863  in  a  grand  assault  by  the  Con- 
federates. 

The  prelude  to  this  attack  was  a  bombardment  from  145 
heavy  guns,  which  blazed  forth  like  so  many  volcanoes. 
The  air  seemed  full  of  missiles  from  every  direction,  their 
explosions  enveloping  Cemetery  Ridge  in  clouds  of  smoke 
and  poisonous  gases.  The  terrific  fire,  answered  by  1  00  guns, 
lasted  for  two  long  hours.  Then  suddenly  emerged  from 
the  forests  15,000  Confederates,  rank  upon  rank  in  gray,  with 
shining  bayonets,  a  never-to-be-forgotten  sight.  Approaching 
in  double-quick  pace,  they  reached  in  spite  of  the  volleys  of 
the  Union  soldiers  the  positions  of  the  latter,  and  now  a 
desperate  struggle  ensued  man  against  man,  during  which  the 
mutilated  bodies  of  human  beings  and  horses  towered  to  heaps 
and  hills.  But  the  furious  onslaught  shattered  on  the  heroic 
resistance  of  the  defenders  of  Cemetery  Ridge.  The  Con- 
federates were  thrown  back  with  fearful  loss  in  utter  dissolu- 
tion and  compelled  to  retreat  to  Virginia,  having  lost  more 
than  30,000  in  killed,  wounded  and  prisoners.  The  loss  of  the 
Federals  amounted   to   23,000. 

Schurz,  Osterhaus  and  Steinwehr  participated  also  in  Sher- 
man's march  to  Georgia  and  fought  with  distinction  in  the 
battles  at  Tunnel  Hill,  Buzzards  Roost,  Dalton,  Resaca,  Mari- 
etta and  Atlanta. 

Many  were  the  skirmishes  and  engagements  of  minor 
importance  in  which  it  fell  to  the  lot  of  the  German  soldiers 
to  bear  the  brunt  of  battle.  In  what  esteem  their  bravery  was 
held  by  friend  and  foe,  may  appear  from  the  following  two 
episodes.  When  on  June  7,  1862,  the  soldiers  of  General 
James  Shield  during  the  campaign  in  the  Luray  Valley  com- 
plained of  the  hardships  they  had  to  endure,  he  answered, 
"The  Germans  are  not  half  as  well  off  as  you  are,  but  they 
hang  on  the  enemy  without  respite."  And  General  Lee,  the 
commander-in-chief  of  the  Confederate  army,  is  reported,  on 
best  authority,  to  have  exclaimed:  "Take  only  these  Dutch  out 
of  the  Union  army,  and  we  will  whip  the  Yankees  easily." 
A  testimonial  of  great  weight  is  also  the  splendid  work  on 
"The  Battle  of  Chancellorsville"  by  Augustus  Choate  Hamlin, 
lieutenant-colonel  and  medical  inspector  of  the  U.  S.  army. 
Of  the  major-generals  and  generals,  born  in  Germany, 
several  fell.  The  brilliant  career  of  Heinrich  von  Bohlen 
ended  on  August  22,    1862,    in  the  battle  at  Rappahannock 

105 


River,  while  leading  his  troops  to  attack.  Adolf  Engelmann 
and  Julius  Raith  were  killed  in  April  1862  at  Shiloh;  Johann 
Koltes  died  on  August  30,  1862,  in  the  battle  at  Bull  Run. 
Franz  Hassendeubel  was  mortally  wounded  during  the  siege 
of  Vicksburg  and  died  July  16,  1863.  Hugo  Wangelin  lost 
at  Ringgold  his  left  arm,  but  after  his  recovery  reported  again 
for  service  and  did  valuable  work  in  Georgia  and  Missouri. 
Max  Weber  was  wounded  in  the  battle  at  Antitam  so  seriously, 
that  he  had  to  quit  service.  The  number  of  colonels,  majors 
and  other  officers  of  German  origin,  who  died  on  the  battle- 
field, runs  up  to  several  hundred,  that  of  the  soldiers  to  many 
thousands.  Almost  all  German  regiments  suffered  terrific 
losses.  The  Sigel  Rifles,  forming  the  5 2d  regiment  of  New 
York,  returned  in  October  1864  under  command  of  Major 
Retzius  with  only  5  officers  and  35  men.  Brought  up  once 
more  to  its  original  strength  of  2800  men,  it  came  back  at 
the  end  of  the  war  only  200  strong.  Of  the  1200  United 
Turner  Rifles  only  462  returned;  of  the  1046  men  of  the 
De-Kalb  regiment  only   1  80. 

So  the  history  of  the  Civil  War  exhibits  abundant  evidence, 
that  the  German-Americans  offered  readily  blood  and  life  for 

the  preservation  of  the  Union. 

*  *      *      * 

Many  officers  of  German  stock  fought  also  with  great 
distinction  in  the  numerous  Indian  wars.  The  best  known  is 
General  George  A.  Custer,  whose  ancestor,  a  Hessian 
soldier,  was  paroled  in  1778  after  Burgoyne's  surrender  at 
Saratoga.  His  name,  Kuester,  hard  to  pronounce  for  English 
tongues,  was,  like  so  many  others,  changed  to  a  form  of  easier 
pronunciation.  Custer  was  a  graduate  of  West  Point.  As  a 
commander  of  cavalry  divisions  he  fought  in  many  battles 
of  the  Civil  War,  and  was  appointed  brigadier-general  for 
gallantry.  With  great  distinction  he  served  in  several  cam- 
paigns against  the  Indians.  But  on  June  26,  1876,  when  he 
with  250  men  dashed  into  overwhelming  masses  of  Sioux 
Indians,  he  became  surrounded.  In  the  desperate  battle  Custer 
as  well  as  his  brother,  First  Lieutenant  Thomas  Custer,  and 
all  soldiers  were  massacred  to  the  last  man.  The  fight  is 
known  as  the  Custer-massacre  at  the   Little  Big  Horn  River, 

Montana. 

*  *      *      * 

Of  German  origin  too,  was  Admiral  Winfield  Scott  Schley, 
the  hero   of  the  great  naval  battle  at  Santiago   de  Cuba. 

The  first  American  ancestor  of  the  Schleys  was  Johann 
Thomas  Schley,  a  German  schoolmaster,  who  in  1  745  erected 
the  first  house  in  Frederick,  Maryland.  Many  of  his  descend- 
ents  became  prominent  in  public  life;  but  none  of  them  rose 
to  such  fame  as  our  admiral,  who  was  born  near  Frederick 
October  9,    1839.      A  graduate  of  the  U.  S.  Naval  Academy 

106 


at  Annapolis,  he  took  part  in  many  engagements  during  the 
Civil  War.  In  1871  he  participated  also  in  the  attack  on  the 
forts  at  the  Salu  River  in  Corea. 

In  1 884  he  commanded  a  relief-expedition,  sent  out  to 
find  the  Arctic  explorer  A.  W.  Greely,  whose  whereabouts 
were  unknown.  Schley  succeeded  in  discovering  him  and  six 
other  survivors  at  Cape  Sabine.  All  were  in  the  very  last 
stage  of  starvation.  But  by  utmost  care  it  was  possible  to 
keep  the  explorers  alive  and  bring  them  back  to  the  United 
States. 

During  the  Spanish-American  War  of  1898,  when  Spain 
sent  out  a  fleet  of  four  cruisers  and  three  destroyers,  Schley 
was  placed  in  command  of  the  "Flying  Squadron,"  which 
was  dispatched  to  ward  the  hostile  fleet  off  the  coast  of  the 
United  States  and  to  prevent  the  same  from  reaching  Havana 
along  the  north  coast  of  Cuba.  Admiral  Sampson  at  the 
same  time  received  orders,  to  close  with  a  strong  fleet  the 
Channel  of  Yucatan.  Deficiency  in  coal  had  compelled  the 
Spanish  fleet  to  seek  refuge  in  the  harbor  of  Santiago  de 
Cuba.  Here  it  remained,  till  forced  by  a  strong  American  land 
army  to  leave  this  retreat.  The  sally  occurred  on  July  3,  at  a 
time,  when  Schley  happened  to  be  in  immediate  command  of 
his  "Flying  Squadron"  as  well  as  of  the  fleet  of  Sampson, 
who  with  one  of  his  vessels  was  absent.  The  Spanish  cruisers, 
followed  by  the  destroyers,  left  the  harbor  in  full  speed,  to 
make  good  their  escape.  But  the  American  vessels  kept  close 
at  their  heels,  opening  at  the  same  time  a  bombardment  with 
their  heavy  guns.  One  after  another  the  Spanish  cruisers,  hit 
by  shells,  caught  fire  and  were  run  ashore  by  their  crews, 
only  to  become  total  wrecks.  2000  of  the  crews,  among 
them  Admiral  Cervera,  were  made  prisoners.  The  news  of 
the  great  victory  reached  the  United  States  on  the  morning  of 
the  Fourth  of  July. 

Never  before,  perhaps,  was  the  great  national  holiday 
celebrated   with   such   overwhelming   enthusiasm. 


Leaders  in  Agriculture,  Industry  and 
Commerce. 

Great  as  were  the  services  rendered  to  this  country  by 
German  Americans  in  times  of  war  and  in  political  progress, 
these  cannot  be  compared  with  the  mighty  impulse  given  to 
American  culture.  Everywhere  about  us  in  the  United  States 
can  be  found  lasting  evidence  of  the  development  wrought 
by  their  hands. 

Viewing  the  hundreds  of  thousands  who  with  their  fellow 
citizens  of  native  or  alien  birth  marched  into  the  virgin  wilder- 
ness of  the  New  World,  we  see  them  transforming  the  former 
abodes  of  beasts  and  Indians  into  fruitful  lands  and  pleasant 
homesteads.  Numerous  States,  especially  Pennsylvania,  New 
York,  New  Jersey,  Maryland,  the  Virginias,  Ohio,  Indiana* 
Illinois,  Michigan,  Wisconsin,  Minnesota,  the  Dakotas,  Iowa, 
Nebraska,  Missouri,  Kansas,  California,  Oregon  and  Washing- 
ton owe  their  prosperity  essentially  to  the  Germans.  As  agri- 
culturists they  won  the  admiration  of  all  their  neighbors.  The 
comparative  meagreness  of  the  soil  of  their  fatherland  taught 
them  to  take  care  of  their  farms  in  a  wise  and  economical  way. 
They  never  fell  into  the  habit  of  abusing  the  soil,  which,  as 
shown  by  many  examples,  in  the  New  England  States  and 
in  other  parts  of  the  country,  results  eventually  in  soil- 
exhaustion  and  the  abandonment  of  farms.  Whoever  visits 
the  beautiful  counties  of  Pennsylvania,  settled  by  the  so-called 
Pennsylvania  Dutch,  must  agree  that  farms  in  better  condition 
than  those  which  exist  there  cannot  be  found.  And  these 
farms  are  still  inhabited  by  the  descendants  of  the  early  Ger- 
man settlers,  who  attained  prosperity  by  diligence  and  rational 
management. 

The  great  importance  of  the  Germans  in  American  agricul- 
ture is  best  seen  by  the  census  of  1900,  showing  that  in  this 
year  525,250  farms,  or  10.6  per  cent,  of  all  farms  in  the 
United  States  were  in  German  hands  and  that  41.3  per  cent, 
of  the  whole  farming  population  were  Germans.  These  num- 
bers include,  however,  not  the  farms  owned  by  Americans 
of  German  stock. 

Among  the  German  farms  of  the  Western  and  Northwestern 
states  many  embrace  enormous  stretches  of  land.  To  fence 
for  instance  the  wheat  fields  owned  by  Johann  P.  Vollmer  in 
Idaho,  250  miles  of  wire  are  required.  Similar  big  farms  are 
owned  bv  A.  L.  Stuntz  in  Idaho;  S.  A.  Knapp  in  Iowa;  John 
Dern  in  Nebraska,  and  others. 

108 


German  influence  on  development  in  American  agriculture 
during  the  1  8th  century  has  been  sketched  briefly  in  a  former 
chapter.  To  the  Germans  is  attributed  by  Rush  the  distinction 
of  being  the  first  to  use  artificial  fertilizer. 

Johann  Schwerdkopf  was  the  first  who  grew  strawberries 
by  the  acres  on  Long  Island  and  provided  with  these  luxurious 
fruits  the  markets  of  New  York.  Other  Germans,  as  Thomas 
Echelburger  in  York,  Pa.;  the  Rappists  of  Harmony,  Indiana; 
Martin  Baurn  in  Cincinnati ;  George  Husmann,  Michael  Poschel, 
Hermann  Burkhardt  in  Missouri  and  many  others  followed 
the  example  of  the  settlers  of  Germantown  and  began  to  culti- 
vate grapes  in  different  parts  of  the  United  States. 

The  Germans  were  instrumental  also  in  establishing  the 
culture  of  vine,  oranges,  lemons,  apricots,  pears,  apples, 
prunes,  cherries,  figs,  and  many  other  fruits  in  California  and 
elsewhere.  They  also  introduced  the  sugar-beet,  the  culture 
of  which  has  in  recent  years  grown  in  many  states  to  immense 
proportions. 

For  the  scientific  development  of  agriculture  the  works  of 
Eugene  Woldernar  Hilgard  became  of  greatest  importance. 
This  man  was  born  in  1  833  in  the  Palatinate,  but  was  brought 
by  his  father  at  an  early  age  to  Belleville,  Illinois,  the  center 
of  the  "Latin  Settlements."  Later  on  Hilgard  studied  in  Ger- 
many, then  became  a  professor  of  geology  and  agricultural 
chemistry  at  the  University  of  California  and  director  of  the 
State  Agricultural  Station.  In  this  position  he  devoted  his 
efforts  to  the  utilization  of  the  arid  deserts  of  California  and 
Arizona,  and  succeeded  in  transforming  many  of  them  into 
fertile  regions.  Of  his  literary  works  his  book  on  "Soils," 
published  in  1906,  is  one  of  greatest  value  among  writings  on 
this  subject. 

A  similar  position  as  that  of  Hilgard  was  held  for  many 
years  by  Charles  A.  Goessmann,  a  native  of  Naumburg,  Ger- 
many. He  has  been  director  of  the  Massachusetts  Agricultural 
Experiment  Station  and  professor  of  chemistry  in  the  Massa- 
chusetts Agricultural  State  College.  George  Ellwanger,  a  native 
of  Wiirtemberg,  founded  in  1839  in  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  a 
nursery  in  fruit-  and  ornamental  trees,  which  in  time  became 
the  most  famous  in  America  and  a  model-institution  for  others. 

Forestry  was  also  taken  up  by  the  Germans.  George  H. 
Wirt,  Samuel  Pennypacker,  John  Frederick  Hartranft  and 
Carl  Schurz  called  the  attention  of  the  American  nation  to  the 
heavy  sin,  committed  by  the  thoughtless  or  covetous  destruc- 
tion of  the  forests,  of  which  many  had  disappeared  entirely. 
At  first,  people  would  laugh  about  the  "German  idealists," 
but  soon  they  became  aware,  that  these  were  right.  The 
reports  Schurz  had  made  to  Congress  on  this  subject  were 
remembered,  and  when  at  the  same  time  Baron  von  Steuben, 
a  Prussian  high-forester  and  a  relative  of  Major-General  von 

109 


Steuben,  visited  the  United  States  and  called  attention  to  the 
rapid  decline  of  her  forests,  public  interest  on  the  question 
was  aroused.  On  suggestion  of  Bernhard  E.  Fernow,  a  prac- 
tical forester,  in  1 882  an  American  Forestry  Congress  was 
called  to  meet  in  Cincinnati,  resulting  in  the  organization  of 
the  American  Forestry  Association.  Through  the  agitation 
of  this  society  the  Department  of  Agriculture  as  well  as  numer- 
ous states  and  universities  were  induced  to  establish  schools 
of  forestry,  which  promise  to  become  a  real  blessing  to  our 
country. 

The  custom  of  the  Germans,  to  beautify  their  homesteads 
with  trees  and  flowers,  led  to  horticulture,  which  is  still  a 
specialty  with  the  German  Americans.  Many  of  the  most 
beautiful  parks  and  cemeteries  of  the  United  States  were 
planned  by  German  landscape  gardeners.  Of  these  one  of 
the  most  successful  was  Adolf  Strauch,  a  native  of  Silesia. 
His  training  he  received  from  the  famous  landscape  gardener 
of  the  Imperial  parks  at  Schoenbrunn  and  Laxenburg,  near 
Vienna.  While  visiting  America  in  1854,  he  was  induced  to 
design  the  plans  for  several  private  parks  near  Cincinnati. 
His  greatest  work  was  the  Spring  Grove  Cemetery  of  the  same 
city,  an  artistic  combination  of  park  and  burial  ground.  A 
complete  artistic  success  when  finished,  Spring  Grove  Cemetery 
served  as  a  model  for  many  other  cemeteries,  among  them 
Woodlawn,  New  York;  Crown  Hill,  Indianapolis;  and  others 
in  Chicago,  Nashville,  Detroit,  Cleveland,  Buffalo,  Hartford, 
etc.  In  laying  out  the  world-known  Central  Park  of  New  York 
in   1859,  Germans  performed  by  far  the  largest  share. 

In  the  manufacturing  of  food  products  the  German 
Americans  have  long  been  in  the  lead.  The  American  Cereal- 
or  Quaker  Oats  Company  in  Akron,  Ohio,  was  organized  by 
Ferdinand  Schumacher,  a  Hanoveranian.  The  Havemeyers 
in  New  York  and  the  Spreckels  in  San  Francisco  made  them- 
selves the  chief  factors  in  the  American  sugar  industry.  The 
former  became  the  sugar-kings  of  the  East  and  organized  the 
American  Sugar  Refining  Company,  better  known  as  the  Sugar 
Trust,  who  commanded  in  1900  a  capital  of  more  than 
$150,000,000  and  occupied  in  its  twenty  refineries  and  many 
offices  more  than  20,000  people,  while  other  1  0,000  were  kept 
busy  in  the  barrel-factories,  in  shipping  and  other  work. 

The  Spreckels  monopolized  the  whole  sugar  production  west 
of  the  Mississippi.  When  Claus  Spreckels,  the  founder  of  the 
Company,  died  in  1908,  he  left  a  fortune  of  more  than  60 
million  dollars. 

The  H.  J.  Heinz  Company  in  Pittsburg,  founded  by  Heinrich 
J.  Heinz,  a  Pennsylvania  German,  is  known  throughout  the 
United  States  for  their  "5  7  varieties"  of  preserved  fruits  and 
vegetables.  Its  plants  cover  an  area  of  more  than  1  60  city 
lots;   in  addition  branches  are  maintained   in   other   states  as 

110 


well  as  in  Canada  and  Spain.  The  products  of  more  than 
30,000  acres  flow  into  the  different  factories,  which  keep 
4000  persons  permanently  busy,  while  at  the  time  of  gathering 
in  the  crops  about  40,000  people  are  employed.  A  rival  firm 
in  the  preserving  and  pickling  business  is  that  of  the  Lutz  & 
Schramm  Company,  also  in  Pittsburgh.  Other  well-known 
pickling  establishments  are  the  J.  O.  Schimmel  Preserving 
Company  of  Jersey  City,  and  the  Bosnian  &  Lohman  Company 
at  Norfolk,   Va. 

The  most  prominent  firms  in  the  production  of  bakers'  and 
confectioners'  supplies  are  also  of  German  origin.  William 
Ziegler,  a  Pennsylvania  German,  was  the  founder  of  the  Royal 
Baking  Powder  Company  in  Chicago.  John  Valentine  Hecker, 
member  of  the  German  firm  Hecker  Brothers,  manufacturers 
of  the  Heckers'  self-raising  flour,  effected  a  consolidation  of 
the  flour-mills  of  New  York,  called  the  Hecker-Jones-Jewell 
Milling  Company,  of  which  Hecker  became  president. 

Karl  and  Maximilian  Fleischmann  organized  the  Fleisch- 
mann  Company,  which  is  the  most  prominent  concern  among 
producers  of  yeast. 

In  the  coffee  trade  Hermann  Sielcken  made  the  importing 
firm  of  Crossman  &  Sielcken  in  New  York  one  of  the  leading 
in  America. 

In  the  production  of  beverages  German  Americans  take  the 
lead,  —  especially  in  the  brewing  industry,  which  grew  to 
astonishing  proportions  through  their  energy.  Beer  had  been 
brewed  in  America  by  the  Dutch  and  English  during  the  seven- 
teenth and  eighteenth  centuries.  In  1810  the  whole  output 
amounted  to  182,000  barrels.  This  quantity  increased  to 
740,000  barrels  in  1850.  The  brewers,  up  to  that  time  exclu- 
sively Anglo-Americans,  produced  a  heavy,  very  intoxicating 
beer  similar  to  the  English  ale.  In  the  place  of  this  the  Ger- 
mans introduced  the  lagerbeer,  which  contains  much  less 
alcohol  and  for  this  reason  is  more  suited  to  the  American 
climate.  In  time  it  displaced  the  ale  almost  entirely,  incident- 
ally it  helped  greatly  to  lessen  the  consumption  of  whiskey  and 
other  liquors,  in  which  the  people  of  America  were  wont  to 
indulge  heavily  in  former  times.  And  so  the  claim,  that  the 
introduction  of  the  lagerbeer  had  beneficial  effect  upon  the 
population  in  behalf  of  temperance,  is,  to  some  extent,  justified. 

To  what  enormous  proportions  the  brewing  industry  has 
been  developed  by  the  Germans  is  seen  from  the  fact  that  at 
present  the  output  of  beer  amounts  to  more  than  66  million 
barrels  per  year.  According  to  the  census  for  1910  in  that 
year  54,5  79  workmen  and  1  1,507  clerks  were  employed,  who 
received  in  wages  $64,000,000.  The  value  of  the  capital 
invested  in  this  industry  amounted  to  $671,158,000,  the 
value  of  material  used  to  $96,596,000  and  the  value  of  the 
production  to  $374,730,000.     The  establishments  of  many  of 

111 


the  large  breweries,  such  as,  for  instance,  of  the  Anheuser- 
Busch  Brewing  Association  in  St.  Louis,  the  Pabst-  and  the 
Schlitz  Breweries  in  Milwaukee,  the  Ehret-  and  the  Ruppert 
Breweries  in  New  York,  and  others  rank  among  the  industrial 
wonders  of  America. 

As  tobacconists  G.  W.  Gail  and  Christian  Ax  started  in 
Baltimore  the  firm  Gail  &  Ax,  which  was  combined  with  the 
American  Tobacco  Company  in  1  89  1 .  The  same  city  also  is 
the  seat  of  the  great  tobacco  firm  of  Marburg  Brothers. 

Among  Americas  great  cattle-men  Heinrich  Miller,  born 
1828  in  Wiirtemberg,  and  Carl  Lux  from  Baden  became  the 
most  successful  and  the  wealthiest.  When  they  arrived  in 
1  850  in  New  York,  both  were  poor  fellows.  But  they  worked 
hard  and  had  a  keen  sight  for  opportunities.  In  1856  they 
began  in  California  with  cattle-raising.  Providing  the  markets 
of  San  Francisco  and  other  cities,  they  became  not  only  the 
largest  land-owners  but  also  the  greatest  stock-owners  in  the 
Far  West.  In  California  they  owned  800,000  acres,  80,000 
heads  of  cattle  and  100,000  of  sheep.  Also  they  controlled 
extensive  stretches  of  land  and  large  herds  in  Oregon  and 
Nevada.  Other  great  stockmen  of  German  descent  are  James 
C.  Dahlman  in  Nebraska  and  S.  A.  Knapp  in  Iowa. 

Among  the  meat  packing  houses  the  firm  of  Schwarzschild 
&  Sulzberger  in  New  York  ranks  among  the  most  important 
in  America.  Founded  in  1853  by  Ferdinand  Sulzberger  from 
Baden,  it  employs  at  present  an  army  of  10,000  men,  and 
its  transactions  amount  to  more  than  100,000,000  dollars 
annually. 

As  tanners  and  manufacturers  of  leather  German  Americans 
have  been  very  resourceful  and  are  contributing  a  material 
share  to  the  commerce  of  this  country.  One  of  the  largest 
tanneries  is  that  of  the  firm  Robert  H.  Foerderer  in  Frankford, 
Pa. ;  others  are  Pfister  &  Vogel,  and  Trostel  &  Zohrlant  in 
Milwaukee,  the  Charles  A.  Schieren  Co.,  Oscar  Scherer  & 
Bros.,  and  Charles  Hauselt  in  New  York;  Schoellkopf  &  Co. 
in  Buffalo;  Schmidt  &  Co.  in  Detroit;  the  Ruepping  Leather 
Co.  in  Fond  du  Lac;  C.  Moench  &  Co.  in  Boston;  the  Wolff 
Process  Leather  Co.  and  the  Keystone  Leather  Co.  in  Phila- 
delphia; Kaufherr  &  Co.  and  William  Zahn  in  Newark. 

Of  German  origin  is  also  the  American  Felt  Company. 
Its  large  factories  at  Dolgeville,  N.  Y.,  were  founded  by  Alfred 
Dolge,  born  1  848  in  Chemnitz,  Saxony.  He  came  to  America 
in  1  869  and  in  the  town,  now  bearing  his  name,  began  the 
manufacture  of  felt,  especially  of  the  material  used  in  piano 
actions.  In  1903  he  organized  in  connection  with  H.  E.  Hun- 
tington extensive  felt  factories  in  New  Dolgeville,  Cal. 

That  the  Germans  are  entitled  to  the  credit  of  having  estab- 
lished the  iron-  and  steel  industries  in  America,  has  been  shown 

112 


in  a  former  chapter.      It  may  truly  be  said  that  they  laid  the 
foundation  to  the  greatest  steel  corporation  now  existing. 

Andreas  and  Anton  Klomann  from  Trier  in  Rhenish  Prussia 
started  in  the  middle  of  the  1  9th  century  in  Pittsburgh  a  factory 
for  the  production  of  axles  for  railway  cars.  In  forging  these 
axles,  they  used  a  treatment  invented  by  Andreas  Klomann, 
which  had  so  many  advantages,  that  for  their  superior  quality 
these  axles  were  preferred  by  all  railroads.  Among  the  regular 
customers  of  the  Klomanns  was  the  Pittsburgh,  Fort  Wayne 
and  Chicago  Railway  Company,  the  purveyor  of  which, 
Thomas  Miller,  bought  a  share  in  the  Klomann  factories  in 
1859.  When  the  Civil  War  brought  large  orders,  and,  at  the 
same  time,  an  increase  in  the  price  for  axles  from  two  cents 
per  pound  to  twelve  cents,  larger  factories  became  necessary. 
At  the  same  time  the  firm  was  made  a  corporation,  known 
as  the  Iron  City  Forge  Company.  While  its  business  flourished, 
the  harmony  among  the  partners,  however,  failed.  First, 
Anton  Klomann  was  bought  out  in  1863;  the  same  happened 
to  Andreas  Klomann,  when  on  May  2,  1  864,  Andrew  Carnegie 
entered  as  a  member  of  the  company.  With  the  phenomenal 
growth  of  this  enterprise  came  consolidations  and  several 
changes  in  name,  first  to  Union  Iron  Mills  Company,  then  to 
Carnegie  Steel  Company,  and  finally  to  United  States  Steel 
Corporation. 

With  the  history  of  this  concern  the  names  of  two  Penn- 
sylvania Germans,  Henry  C.  Frick  and  Charles  M.  Schwab 
are  closely  connected.  Frick  organized,  besides,  in  1  882  the 
Frick  Coal  and  Coke  Company,  which  is  now  the  largest  coke 
producer  in  the  world,  operating  about  40,000  acres  of  coal 
and  12,000  coke  ovens  with  a  daily  capacity  of  25,000  tons 
of  coke. 

Schwab  became  president  of  the  Carnegie  Steel  Company 
in  1897.  When  the  Carnegie  interests  were  merged  in  the 
larger  United  States  Steel  Corporation  in  1901,  he  became  its 
first  president,  remaining  until  1904,  when  he  resigned,  to 
become  president  of  the  Bethlehem  Steel  Corporation. 

Another  German  captain  of  American  industries  was 
Heinrich  Wehrum,  the  creator  of  the  great  Lackawanna  Iron 
and  Steel  Works  at  Buffalo  and  Seneca,  N.  Y.  The  name  of 
F.  Augustus  Heinze,  born  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  is  inseparably 
connected  with  the  history  of  the  American  copper  industry. 
He  was  to  his  death  president  of  the  United  Copper  Company, 
which  he  had  organized.  Johann  August  Roebling,  the  famous 
bridge-builder,  was  the  father  of  the  great  cable  wire  spinneries 
John  A.  Roeblings  Sons  Company  at  Trenton,  N.  J. 

Conspicuous  is  the  record  of  Germans  who  founded  car 
building  factories  of  great  magnitude.  Johann  Georg  Brill, 
born  in  Cassel,  created  the  J.  G.  Brill  Company,  whose  estab- 
lishment in  Philadelphia  is  unsurpassed  in  the  production  of 

114 


electric  street  cars  and  trucks.  The  sons  of  the  founder  acquired 
many  additional  plants  in  Elizabeth,  N.  J. ;  Springfield,  Mass. ; 
Cleveland,  O. ;  Danville,  111. ;  and  St.  Louis. 

J.  H.  Kobusch  established  an  extensive  concern  in  1887  at 
St.  Louis  known  as  the  St.  Louis  Car  Company,  which  manu- 
factures street  and  railway  cars.  Webster  Wagner,  descending 
from  a  Palatine  family  in  Palatine  Bridge,  N.  Y.,  organized  the 
Wagner  Palace  Car  Company,  whose  excellent  railway  cars 
are  unequalled  for  comfort  and  beauty. 

The  largest  vehicle  factories  of  America,  operated  by  the 
Studebaker  Corporation  in  South  Bend,  Ind.,  and  Detroit, 
Mich,  are  the  crowning  result  of  untiring  work  by  five  Penn- 
sylvania Germans,  the  Studebaker  brothers,  whose  family  name 
originally  was  Stutenbacker.  Their  annual  output  amounts  at 
present  to  over  100,000  vehicles  including  more  than  10,000 
automobiles. 

In  the  manufacture  of  machinery  German  genius,  capacity 
and  efficiency  have  been  so  well  exemplified  that  it  becomes 
difficult  to  single  out  a  branch  wherein  some  German  has  not 
pointed  the  way.  The  Aultman  &  Miller  Company  in  Canton 
and  Akron,  Ohio,  started  by  descendents  of  Pennsylvania 
German  families,  was  one  of  the  foremost  producers  of  agri- 
cultural machinery  and  has  lately  become  a  part  of  the  great 
International  Harvester  Company. 

Large  firms  in  the  manufacture  of  agricultural  implements 
were  organized  by  Orendorff  in  Canton,  111.,  and  by  Weusthoff 
&  Getz  in  Dayton,   Ohio. 

Ferdinand  Thun,  a  native  of  Barmen,  Rhenish  Prussia, 
founded  the  Textile  Machine  Works  in  Reading,  Pa.,  whose 
output  by  its  excellence  has  practically  transplanted  from 
Europe  to  America  a  number  of  industries  which  give  bread 
to  veritable  armies  of  workmen. 

Peter  Pauly  founded  in  1856  the  Pauly  Jail  Building  Com- 
pany in  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  whose  specialty  is  the  construction  and 
furnishing  of  jails  and  other  houses  of  correction.  At  the  same 
place  Wilhelm  and  Friedrich  Niedringhaus  created  the  National 
Enameling  and  Stamping  Company,  which  converts  tinplates 
into  products  of  endless  variety.  As  producers  of  fine  pottery 
and  art  tiles  the  plant  of  Balthasar  Kreischer  in  Kreischersville, 
Staten  Island,  N.  Y.,  is  acknowledged  to  be  the  oldest  and 
most  extensive  in  the  United  States. 

As  skillful  cabinet  makers  the  Germans  have  been  renowned 
for  centuries.  Their  handicraft  has  reared  in  the  United  States 
an  industry  of  high  order,  giving  employment  to  thousands 
and  thousands  of  busy  hands.  Among  the  many  firms,  devoted 
to  this  industry,  one  of  the  most  notable  is  the  Dubuque 
Cabinet  Makers  Association,  the  founder  and  president  of 
which  is  Richard  Herrmann,  born  at  Chemnitz,  Saxony. 

In   close  relation   with   cabinet   making   is   the  manufacture 

116 


of  musical  instruments.  That  Germans  were  the  first  who 
made  organs  and  pianos  in  America,  has  been  pointed  out  in 
a  former  chapter.  That  was  during  the  1  8th  century.  Since 
then  this  industry  has  been  principally  in  the  hands  of  Ger- 
mans. In  1833  Conrad  Meyer  constructed  the  first  pianos  with 
full  iron  frames.  This  innovation,  made  with  regard  to  the 
peculiar  climatic  conditions  of  the  Eastern  United  States, 
proved  such  a  success,  that  it  found  acceptance  also  in  all 
European  countries.  The  1  9th  century  saw  the  rise  of  a  large 
number  of  manufacturers  of  pianos.  Wilhelm  Lindemann 
established  in  1836  the  firm  Lindemann  &  Sons  in  New  York. 
In  the  ensuing  year  Wilhelm  Knabe  started  manufacturing  in 
Baltimore  with  an  ever  growing  plant,  which  in  our  days 
became  the  nucleus  of  the  American  Piano  Company.  In  1852 
Albert  Weber  founded  the  Weber  Piano  Company;  in  1853 
Heinrich  Engelhard  Steinweg,  assisted  by  his  sons  Karl,  Hein- 
rich,  Wilhelm,  Theodor  and  Albert  established  the  firm  of 
Steinway  &  Sons,  which  at  present  produces  not  less  than 
7000  pianos  annually,  and  for  the  quality  of  its  instruments 
gained  the  highest  distinctions  at  the  World's  expositions  held 
in  America  as  well  as  in  Europe. 

Kranich  &  Bach,  Sohmer  &  Co.,  Decker  &  Son,  Steck  & 
Co.,  Strich  &  Zeidler  in  New  York  and  many  more  in  other 
cities  may  well  inscribe  their  German  names  as  a  mark  of  merit 
upon  their  splendid  instruments. 

The  pioneer  in  making  violins  in  America  was  Georg 
Gemiinder,  born  1816  at  Ingelfingen,  Wurtemberg.  The 
instruments  made  by  him  and  his  sons  in  Astoria,  L.  I.,  rival  in 
their  wonderful  quality  of  tone  the  best  found  anywhere. 

What  can  be  accomplished  by  energy,  perseverance  and 
technical  skill  is  illustrated  by  the  great  success  of  German 
Americans  in  the  various  branches  of  the  textile  industry,  par- 
ticularly in  the  Eastern  parts  of  the  United  States.  Thus  guided 
are  the  Botany  Worsted  Mills,  the  Gera  Mills  and  the  Garfield 
Mills  in  Passaic,  N.  J.,  establishments  engaged  in  making 
worsted  goods.  Likewise  the  Fern  Rock  Mills  at  Philadelphia. 
Wilhelm  Horstmann,  born  1  785  at  Cassel,  was  the  pioneer  in 
American  silk  passamenterie.  The  concern  in  Philadelphia, 
which  still  bears  his  name,  grew  in  time  to  be  one  of  the  largest 
in  this  country. 

Friedrich  Baare  established  the  silk  spinneries  in  Schoharie, 
N.  Y.,  and  Paterson,  N.  J.;  H.  Schniewind  those  in  Sunbury, 
Pa.;  Robert  Schwarzenbach  those  in  Altoona,  Pa.,  and  the 
brothers  Robert  and  Hermann  Simon  those  in  Union  Hill, 
N.  J.,  and  Easton,  Pa.  Ludwig  Sutro  is  the  founder  of  the 
Sutro  Bros.  Braid  Company  in  New  York.  Ferdinand  Thun 
and  Henry  Janssen  established  the  Berkshire  Knitting  Mills 
and  the  Narrow  Fabric  Company  at  Reading,  Pa.  At  the 
same  place  are  located  also  the  great  glove-  and  hosiery  fac- 
tories of  Nolde  &  Horst  and  E.  Richard  Meinig. 

118 


With  the  great  forward  strides  of  chemistry  in  Germany 
the  sons  of  the  Fatherland  in  America  are  striving  to  keep 
pace.  There  is  almost  an  endless  list  of  firms  engaged  in  the 
production  of  pharmaceutical  preparations,  of  artificial  fertil- 
izer or  of  colors  for  ceramics  and  the  dyer's  trade.  Among 
such  firms  those  of  Roessler  &  Hasslacher,  H.  A.  Metz  &  Co., 
Heller  &  Merz,  Maas  &  Waldstein,  Eimer  &  Amend  in  New 
York,  Louis  &  Karl  Dohme  in  Baltimore,  Weightman  &  Rosen- 
garten  in  Philadelphia,  Herf  &  Frerichs  and  the  Mallinckrodt 
Chemical  Works  in  St.  Louis  are  regarded  as  the  most 
important. 

The  manufacturing  of  lead  pencils  was  begun  in  1  849  by 
Eberhard  Faber,  a  member  of  the  well-known  Faber  family 
in  Niirnberg.  The  present  factories  of  the  firm  are  located 
in  Greenpoint,  L.  I.,  and  employ  about  1000  men.  A  rival 
concern  is  the  Eagle  Pencil  Company,  organized  in  1865  by 
Heinrich  Berolzheimer. 

Foremost  place  in  the  production  of  scientific  and  optical 
apparatus  is  held  by  the  firm  Bausch  &  Lomb  Optical  Co.  in 
Rochester,  N.  Y.  The  establishment  was  founded  in  1853  by 
Johann  Jakob  Bausch,  born  July  25,  1830,  in  Wiirtemberg, 
and  Heinrich  Lomb,  born  November  24,  1828,  in  Hessen 
Cassel.  To-day  it  ranks  among  the  best  in  America  and  is 
unsurpassed  for  the  quality  of  its  products. 

As  engravers  in  wood  and  copper  many  Germans  have  won 
distinction.  While  in  the  now  abandoned  art  of  wood  engrav- 
ing Gustav  Krull,  Friedrich  Jungling,  Henry  Wolf,  Ernst 
Schladitz,  William  Miiller  and  others  were  perfect  masters, 
Louis  Prang  in  Boston  was  the  pioneer  and  successful  devel- 
oper of  lithography  in  America.  The  most  admirable  of  his 
reproductions  were  a  set  of  views  from  the  Yellowstone 
National  Park,  after  water  color  paintings  by  Thomas  Moran; 
a  series  of  battle-scenes  of  the  Civil  War  after  paintings  of 
famous  masters;  and  reproductions  of  the  most  select  Chinese 
ceramics  in  the  William  Th.  Walters  Collection  at  Baltimore. 

The  well-known  American  Lithographic  Company,  the 
prominent  lithographing  firms  of  J.  Ottmann  and  Julius  Bien 
in  New  York,  the  Gugler  Company  in  Milwaukee,  the  Hoen 
Company  in  Baltimore,  the  Goes  Company  in  Chicago  and 
many  others  were  established  by  men  of  German  origin. 

The  same  is  true  of  the  F.  A.  Ringler  Company,  in  New 
York,  which  is  one  of  the  largest  institutions  for  designing, 
photo-engraving  and  electrotyping.  The  founder,  F.  A.  Ring- 
ler, was  born   1852  at  Friedwald,  Hesse-Cassel. 

Of  the  men,  who  became  widely  known  for  their  organizing 
talents  and  as  leaders  of  American  industries,  several  are  of 
German  origin.  Friedrich  Weyerhauser,  born  1834  in  Nieder- 
Saulheim  in  Hessen,  rose  from  the  owner  of  a  small  saw-mill 
to  be  a  ruler  in  the  American  lumber  business.    Having  control 

119 


over  the  Weyerhauser  Syndicate,  he  was  commonly  known  as 
the  "Lumber-king"  and  it  was  said  of  him  that  his  fortune 
even  surpassed  that  of  John  D.  Rockefeller.  This  monarch  of 
the  Standard  Oil  Company  also  acknowledged  German  origin. 
His  American  ancestor,  Johann  Peter  Rockefeller  (Roggen- 
f elder)  came  in  1  735  from  Bonefeld  in  Rhenish  Prussia  and 
is  buried  at  Larrison  Corners,  N.  J.  John  Wannamaker, 
descending  from  a  Pennsylvania  German  family  Wannen- 
macher,  is  known  as  the  originator  of  the  modern  department 
store.  Having  opened  in  1861  a  small  store  in  Philadelphia, 
he  managed  by  the  reliability  of  his  goods  to  secure  public 
attention  to  his  store  in  such  a  degree,  that  he  soon  could  open 
in  Philadelphia  as  well  as  in  New  York  establishments  on  the 
grandest  scale,  the  transactions  amounting  to  millions  in  every 
month.  The  so-called  department  stores  became  the  models 
for  countless  similar  institutions  in  almost  every  American  and 
European  city. 

To  the  list  of  such  leaders  of  industry  the  names  of  many 
other  men  might  be  added,  who  at  the  helm  of  great  corpora- 
tions and  enterprises  have  built  for  themselves  enviable  reputa- 
tions by  upholding  German  traditions  of  business  probity.  In 
conclusion  it  should  be  stated,  that  this  chapter  intends  to 
convey  only  some  idea  of  the  enormous  activity  of  men  of 
German  birth  or  lineage  in  the  agricultural,  industrial  and 
commercial  life  of  the  United  States.  To  do  justice  to  all 
entitled  to  have  their  achievements  recorded  in  this  connection, 
would  be  an  undertaking  far  beyond  the  possibilities  of  this 
volume. 


The  North  American  Turner  Bund 

and  Its  Influence  on  the  Physical 

Development   of   the 

American  Nation. 

When  in  the  years  1810  and  1811  the  nations  of  Europe 
longed  to  throw  off  the  heavy  yoke  of  Napoleon  I.,  Germany 
possessed  among  her  patriots  a  man,  who  recognized  the 
necessity  of  preparing  the  people  systematically  for  the  great 
coming  struggle.  This  man  was  Dr.  Friedrich  Ludwig  Jahn, 
a  native  of  the  province  Brandenburg,  Prussia.  To  make  the 
German  youth  capable  of  bearing  arms  and  to  harden  them 
for  the  imminent  war  of  liberation,  he  resolved  to  introduce 
gymnastic  exercises  among  his  students  and  to  infuse  them  at 
the  same  time  with  a  patriotic  love  for  freedom.  In  the  spring 
of  1811,  Jahn  opened  in  the  Hasenheide  near  Berlin  the  first 
public  "Turnplatz,"  where  500  young  students  responded  to 
his  call  and  indulged  in  gymnastic  exercises  under  his  direc- 
tion. In  spite  of  the  freedom  he  accorded  his  scholars,  Jahn 
was,  however,  a  stern  disciplinarian  in  many  other  respects, 
and  compelled  them  to  maintain  good  order  and  to  observe 
good   manners. 

Aided  by  men  of  like  sympathies  Jahn  founded  in  the  same 
year  the  "Deutsche  Bund,"  an  organization,  the  members  of 
which  were  drawn  from  students  of  all  German  universities. 
In  this  way  the  great  movement  spread  over  all  Germany. 
Everywhere  the  young  men  banded  together  for  patriotic 
motives    and    formed    gymnastic   societies. 

In  what  enthusiastic  manner  these  Turners  responded  to 
the  call  to  arms  in  1813,  and  how  great  their  part  was  in 
the  liberation  of  Germany,  are  facts  well  known  to  every 
student    of   history. 

Three  disciples  of  Jahn,  namely  Carl  Beck,  Carl  Follen, 
and  Franz  Lieber,  introduced  Jahn's  system  of  physical  train- 
ing to  the  United  States  and  incorporated  it  in  the  liberal 
education  of  the  colleges  and  universities.  Supported  by 
John  G.  Coffin,  John  C.  Warren,  George  Bancroft,  Daniel 
Webster  and  J.  G.  Cogswell,  the  Germans  established  in  1826 
at  Harvard  University,  in  Boston  and  Northampton,  Mass., 
the  first  gymnasiums  in  America  based  on  Jahn's  models. 
Beck  also  translated  Jahn's  book  "Deutsche  Turnkunst"  into 

121 


English  and  published  it  in  Northampton.  Also  through  public 
lectures  the  three  pioneers  of  gymnastics  made  it  clear,  that 
for  a  republic  the  advantages  of  such  exercises  consist  in  that 
they  unite  the  different  elements  of  the  people  in  common 
activity  and  bring  classes  into  close  contact,  which  by  their 
different  education  and  mode  of  life  would  otherwise  remain 
apart.  Furthermore,  they  stated  that  the  American  climate 
with  its  sudden  changes,  the  easiness  of  travel  without  physical 
strain,  the  free  institutions  and  the  dependency  of  the  country 
on  the  great  masses  of  the  people  in  case  of  war  demand 
gymnasiums.  "For  a  time,"  so  Dr.  Warren  of  Harvard  stated, 
"the  introduction  of  gymnastic  exercises  throughout  the  country 
promised  to  be  the  beginning  of  a  new  epoch  of  education. 
As  long  as  they  charmed  by  their  novelty  these  exercises  were 
pursued  with  zest,  but  since  their  value  and  importance  was 
not  generally  understood,  they  were  gradually  neglected,  and 
finally  forgotten.  However,  tho  results  which  these  institutions 
accomplished  excelled  in  my  opinion,  the  most  extravagant 
expectations." 

The  movement  came  to  new  life  again  when  the  great  tide 
of  the  Men  of  1848  flowed  into  this  country;  these  hundreds 
of  thousands  of  enthusiastic  young  men,  who  bore  in  their 
breasts  the  famous  motto  of  the  German  Turners:  "Frisch! 
Fromm!  Frohlich!  Frei!"  and  were  convinced,  that  a  sound 
body  is  the  necessary  preliminary  condition  for  a  sound  mind. 

Eager  to  conserve  their  own  elasticity  and  to  bequeath  to 
their  children  the  physical  and  ethical  education  they  had 
received  in  the  fatherland,  these  men  organized  everywhere 
gymnastic  societies,  the  "Turn-Vereine."  The  first,  established 
in  November  1  848,  was  the  Cincinnati  Turngemeinde,  which 
still  exists.  The  New  York  Turngemeinde  was  organized  in 
the  same  year  and  was  followed  soon  by  numerous  others, 
which  in  1850  centralized  in  the  "North  American  Turner- 
bund"  or  "The  Gymnastic  Union."  Its  societies  endeavor 
to  extend  the  practice  of  physical  training  to  all  without  dis- 
crimination as  to  age  or  sex.  The  boy,  the  man,  the  girl,  the 
woman,  even  the  father  and  mother,  are  not  merely  tolerated, 
but  are  urged  to  participate  in  the  gymnastic  exercises  of  the 
society.  According  to  the  statistics,  compiled  January  1,  1915, 
the  Union  is  composed  of  2 1 8  societies  and  a  membership 
of  37,941.  The  enrollment  in  the  various  gymnasium  classes 
was  as  follows:  4989  Seniors;  3090  Juniors;  2502  Business 
Men;  7198  Women;  9264  Boys;  7958  girls.  The  singing 
and  dramatic  sections  had  2286  members  and  the  women's 
section  6770.  In  all  the  Union  had  54,999  members  over  14 
years,    and    17,322    members   under    14   years. 

Many  of  the  societies  also  maintain  elementary  schools, 
freehand  and  mechanical  drawing  schools,  schools  for  the 
study  of  German,  and  girls'  industrial  schools.     From  time  to 

122 


time  they  also  arrange  free  lectures  and  sessions,  in  which 
topics  of  common  interest  are  discussed.  By  holding  occa- 
sionally gymnastic  festivals,  the  attention  of  the  public  is  kept 
alive.  Every  four  years  the  Union  arranges  national  festivals 
with  competitive  gymnastics  between  the  societies.  At  such 
festivals  often  more  than  3000  active  turners  participated. 
They  always  aroused  such  interest,  that  the  practice  of  the 
German  system  of  physical  training  was  gradually  taken  up 
by  all   large  cities  in   the  land. 

But  the  Union  was  not  satisfied  with  these  results. 

When  in  1  880  the  Turnerbund  held  a  convention  at  Indian- 
apolis, the  suggestion  was  made  to  introduce  physical  training 
into  the  public  schools.  "We  could  not  conceive  of  a  more 
beautiful  gift,"  said  the  first  speaker  of  the  executive  commit- 
tee, "than  this  to  bestow  upon  the  American  people.  It  seems 
to  me  that  this  should  be  a  worthy  enterprise,  for  whosoever 
has  conquered  the  youth  has  gained  the  future."  After  this 
proposition  had  been  accepted,  every  favorable  opportunity 
presenting  itself  was  used  to  petition  boards  of  education  to 
introduce  gymnastics.  Always  ready  to  co-operate  with  school 
boards,  the  turner  societies  often  gave  their  teachers  gratu- 
itously for  years,  in  order  to  let  results  convince  skeptical 
school  boards  of  the  value  of  school  gymnastics. 

From  the  annual  report  of  the  Turnerbund  for  the  year  1914 
it  appears,  that  gymnastics  were  introduced  into  the  schools 
of  76  cities  either  by  the  direct  efforts  of  the  Turner  societies 
of  these  cities  or  through  the  efforts  of  the  district  organiz- 
ations. Many  colleges  and  universities,  also  the  Military 
Academy  at  West  Point  and  the  Naval  Academy  at  Annapolis 
joined  the  movement,  engaging  mostly  teachers  which  had 
received  their  physical  training  at  the  training  school,  the 
Union  maintains  since  a  number  of  years  in  Indianapolis. 
In  nearly  all  of  these  institutions  the  participation  in  the  exer- 
cises is  obligatory. 

As  the  activity  of  the  North  American  Gymnastic  Union 
extends  now  over  a  period  of  more  than  66  years,  it  is  clear 
that  many  millions  of  American  children,  men  and  women 
have  profited  greatly  by  these  exercises.  As  they  improved 
in  body  as  well  as  in  spirit,  the  whole  nation  gained  immensely. 

That  the  German  turners  belong  to  the  most  loyal  citizens 
of  the  Union,  they  demonstrated,  as  has  been  told  in  another 
chapter,  by  their  participation  in  the  Civil  War,  during  which 
they  fought  with  heroic  enthusiasm  for  the  preservation  of 
our  Union. 

From  all  these  facts  it  appears,  that  the  German  Turners 
have  contributed  their  share  toward  the  cultural  development 
of  the  American  nation. 


123 


The  Influence  of  German  Learning  and 

Methods  on  Education  in  the 

United  States. 

Germany  is  proverbially  known  as  the  land  of  great  think- 
ers, philosophers  and  scholars.  Through  many  centuries  her 
brightest  intellects  have  been  at  work  perfecting  her  educa- 
tional institutions.  From  an  experience  covering  a  period  of 
over  a  thousand  years  of  indefatigable  research  and  discrim- 
inative investigation,  have  been  evolved  superior  methods  of 
instruction  which  cannot  but  present  the  highest  standards  of 
thoroughness  and  efficiency. 

This  ardent  love  for  science,  characteristic  of  the  German 
nation,  distinguished  also  many  of  those  Germans,  who  in 
Colonial  times  made  America  their  home.  Numerous  teachers 
were  amongst  them,  as  for  instance  Johann  Thomas  Schley, 
the  ancestor  of  the  family  of  which  Admiral  Schley  was  a  dis- 
tinguished member.  Another  of  such  teachers  was  Christoph 
Dock,  who  for  his  excellent  methods  of  teaching  has  been 
called  "the  American  Pestalozzi"  and  whose  work  on  peda- 
gogics, written  in  1  754,  was  the  first  published  on  this  subject 
in  America. 

The  value  of  these  methods  was  appreciated  by  no  one 
more  than  Benjamin  Franklin,  in  whose  printing  office  many 
of  the  schoolbooks  used  by  the  Germans  were  printed. 
Having  become  acquainted  on  a  trip  through  Germany  with 
the  splendid  institutions  of  the  university  at  Goettingen,  he 
gave  the  impulse  to  a  transformation  of  the  Public  Academy 
of  Philadelphia  into  a  seat  of  learning  along  corresponding 
lines,  creating  an  institution,  out  of  which  developed  the 
present  University  of  Pennsylvania.  At  his  request  this 
university  opened  a  department  for  German  language  and 
literature.  Franklin  also  donated  $1000  to  the  Franklin  High 
School,  which  was  established  by  the  Germans  in  Lancaster, 
Pa.,   and  exists  still  to-day. 

Among  many  other  schools,  maintained  by  the  Germans, 
a  seminary  for  female  teachers  existed  in  Bethlehem,  Pa.  How 
far  ahead  on  the  subject  of  women's  education  were  the  views 
of  these  Germans  over  those  of  the  Puritans  in  New  England, 
may  be  judged  from  the  fact,  that,  when  a  proposition  was 
made  in  1  793  to  establish  a  similar  seminary  in  Plymouth, 
Mass.,  this  project  was  defeated  as  undesirable  on  the  ground 
"that  in  such  a  school  women  might  become  more  learned 
than  their  future  husbands!" 

124 


A  more  liberal  spirit  took  place  in  the  New  England  States, 
when  during  the  first  half  of  the  1  9th  century  many  Americans 
of  high  standing  went  to  Germany,  to  complete  their  studies. 
Among  these  men  were  Emerson,  Longfellow,  Bancroft, 
Everett,  Curtis,  Ticknor,  and  the  noted  pedagogues  Griscom 
of  New  York,  Bache  from  Philadelphia,  and  Stowe  from  Ohio, 
who  travelled  to  Europe  to  study  the  methods  of  teaching. 
To  these  visitors  referred  Professor  Charles  W.  Eliot,  Presi- 
dent Emeritus  of  Harvard  University,  when  he,  at  a  banquet 
given  on  May  9,  1913,  by  the  German  Publication  Society, 
responded  to  the  toast  "The  Debt  of  America  to  Germany." 
He   said : 

"The  educational  obligations  of  America  to  Germany  are 
indeed  wide  and  deep.  They  relate  to  literature,  science, 
art,  education,  and  religion.  The  German  gifts  were  first 
communicated  through  a  few  young  pioneers  from  America, 
who,  after  having  received  a  partial  education  here,  went  over 
to  Germany  to  study  more  deeply  and  intensively.  The 
universities  to  which  these  American  students  resorted  in  the 
early  part  of  the  19th  century  were  in  part  recent  creations, 
and  in  part  reconstructions  on  old  foundations;  but  how  rich 
they  were,  how  free,  and  how  strong!  —  The  American 
pioneers  brought  back  various  knowledges,  various  skills,  and 
many  pregnant  doctrines.  The  variety  of  knowledge  and 
skill  which  could  be  procured  at  the  German  universities  at 
that  early  day  was  something  astounding  to  these  American 
youths,  something  indescribably  rich  and  various.  With  their 
own  personal  experiences  and  gains  they  brought  back  also 
to  America  the  structure  of  the  modern  German  university, 
then  young  in  Germany  and  in  America  not  yet  conceived  of. 
They  had,  moreover,  absorbed  that  noble  German  policy  of 
academic  freedom,  freedom  for  the  student  and  the  teacher 
alike.  This  academic  freedom  meant  emancipation  from 
tradition  and  prejudice,  and  from  authority,  whether  govern- 
mental or  ecclesiastical.  They  saw,  also,  how  two  great 
doctrines  which  had  sprung  from  the  German  Protestant 
Reformation  had  been  developed  by  Germans  from  seed  then 
planted  in  Germany.  The  first  was  the  doctrine  of  universal 
education,  developed  from  the  Protestant  conception  of  indi- 
vidual responsibility;  and  the  second  was  the  great  doctrine 
of  civil  liberty,  liberty  in  industries,  in  society,  in  government, 
liberty  with  order  under  law.  These  two  principles  took  their 
rise  in  Protestant  Germany;  and  America  has  been  the  great- 
est beneficiary  of  that  noble  teaching. 

The  pioneers  from  New  England  in  the  first  half  of  the  19th 
century  have  been  followed  by  a  stream  of  American  youth, 
going  over  to  enlarge  their  experiences,  to  make  new  observa- 
tions, to  put  in  practice  the  inductive  method  of  arriving  at 
the  truth,  and  to  learn  to  think  profoundly  and  accurately  in 

125 


the  German  universities.  That  stream  has  flowed  backward 
all  over  this  country,  fertilizing  it  with  German  thought  and 
German  methods.  These  thousands  of  American  students 
have  absorbed  in  Germany  that  splendid  spirit  of  scientific 
research  now  developed  in  all  fields  of  knowledge  on  the  same 
method  and  in  the  same  spirit.  Scientific  research  has  been 
learned  through  practice  in  Germany  by  thousands  of  American 
students  and  teachers.  It  is  impossible  to  describe  or  even 
imagine  what  an  immense  intellectual  gift  this  has  been  from 
Germany  to  America.  For  this  perfected  spirit  and  method 
of  research  America  is  more  indebted  to  Germany  than  to 
any  other  nation,  because  the  range  of  German  research  has 
been  wider  and  deeper  than  has  been  seen  in  any  other  nation. 

There  is  another  bond  of  union  between  Germany  and 
America.  The  Teutonic  peoples  set  a  higher  value  on  truth 
in  speech,  thought  and  action  than  any  other  peoples.  They 
all  love  truth;  they  seek  it;  they  woo  it.  They  respect  the 
man  who  speaks  and  acts  the  truth  even  to  his  own  injury. 
The  English  Bacon  said  of  truth:  "It  is  the  sovereign  good 
of  human  nature."  That  is  what  all  the  Teutonic  peoples 
believe.  They  want  to  found  their  action  on  facts,  not  fancy; 
on  truth,  the  demonstrated  truth,  not  on  imagination.  I  say 
that  here  is  a  fine  bond  of  union,  a  real  likeness  of  spirit,  a 
community  in  devotion  and  worship  among  the  Teutonic 
peoples.  Let  us  hope  that  at  no  distant  day  this  common 
worship,  this  common  devotion,  will  result  in  common  benefi- 
cent  action." — 

Of  Germans,  appointed  as  teachers  at  American  colleges 
and  universities,  Karl  Beck,  Karl  Follen  and  Franz  Lieber, 
spoken  of  in  former  chapters,  were  the  first.  As  among  their 
pupils  we  read  the  names  of  A.  P.  Peabody,  Longfellow, 
Emerson,  and  Margaret  Fuller.  When  Follen  in  1825  opened 
the  first  class  at  Harvard  for  German  language  and  literature, 
there  were  no  German  books  procurable,  and  so  Follen  was 
obliged  to  compile  text  books  of  his  own.  Peabody  in  his 
"Reminiscences"  says  about  it:  "The  German  Reader  for 
Beginners,  compiled  by  our  teacher,  was  furnished  to  the 
class  in  single  sheets  as  it  was  needed,  and  was  printed  in 
Roman  type,  there  being  no  German  type  within  easy  reach. 
There  could  not  have  been  a  happier  introduction  to  German 
literature  than  this  little  volume.  It  contained  choice  extracts 
in  prose,  and  poems  from  Schiller,  Goethe,  Herder,  and 
several  other  poets  of  kindred  if  inferior  fame.  But  in  the 
entire  volume  Dr.  Follen  rejoiced  especially  in  several  battle- 
pieces  from  Korner,  the  soldier  and  martyr  of  liberty.  I  never 
have  heard  recitations  which  have  impressed  me  so  strongly 
as  the  reading  of  those  pieces  by  Dr.  Follen,  who  would  put 
into  them  all  the  heart  and  soul  that  had  made  him  too  much 
a   lover    of   his   country    to    be    suffered    to    dwell    in    it.     He 

126 


appended  to  the  other  poems,  anonymously,  a  death-song 
in  memory  of  Korner,  which  we  all  knew  to  be  his  own,  and 
which  we  read  so  often  and  so  feelingly,  that  it  sank  indelibly 
into  permanent  memory;  and  I  find  that  after  an  interval  of 
sixty  years  it  is  as  fresh  in  my  recollection  as  the  hymns  that 
I  learned  in  my  childhood."  — 

It  was  only  a  few  years  later,  that  a  number  of  eminent 
American  schoolmen,  among  them  Horace  Mann  from  Massa- 
chusetts, went  to  Europe  for  the  special  purpose  of  studying 
the  methods  of  education  in  the  different  countries.  Their 
reports,  together  with  the  work  on  Prussian  schools,  by  the 
French  professor  Victor  Cousin  proved  to  be  of  enormous 
influence  in  matters  of  education  and  led  in  1  837  to  the  estab- 
lishment of  the  University  of  Michigan,  planned  and  patterned 
entirely  after  German  ideas. 

To  a  like  extent  at  the  foundation  of  Johns  Hopkins  Uni- 
versity in  Baltimore  the  principles  of  German  universities  were 
adopted,  among  them  freedom  from  all  denominational  influ- 
ences; high  standards  and  high  ideals;  encouragement  in  every 
manner  of  the  spirit  of  research  in  creation  of  a  school  for 
post-graduate  studies,  etc.  Of  the  earlier  members  of  the 
faculty  nearly  all  had  received  their  degrees  at  German  uni- 
versities. 

The  example,  set  by  Johns  Hopkins  University,  was  fol- 
lowed by  the  University  of  Chicago,  Leland  Stanford  Univer- 
sity in  San  Francisco,  Harvard  University  in  Cambridge,  Yale 
University  in  New  Haven,  Columbia  University  in  New  York, 
and  by  many  others  since. 

To  make  her  system  of  education  accessible  to  the  study 
of  all  American  pedagogues,  Germany  presented  it  at  the 
world's  expositions  at  Chicago  and  St.  Louis  in  the  most  com- 
prehensive manner,  hoping  to  perform  herewith  an  act  of  true 
friendship  toward  a  young  nation,  to  which  it  had  contributed 
so  many  of  her  own  children.  — 

By  calling  prominent  German  professors  to  occupy  chairs 
at  American  universities,  German  influence  on  education 
has  been  greatly  heightened.  At  Harvard  University  on  insti- 
gation of  Kuno  Francke,  professor  of  German  language  and 
literature,  a  Germanic  Museum  has  been  established,  which 
aims  by  means  of  excellent  casts,  engravings,  drawings,  and 
photographs  to  acquaint  the  American  student  with  the  best 
specimens  of  German  art  and  craft.  Another  excellent  innova- 
tion was  suggested  by  the  same  scholar  in  1902.  He  proposed 
a  regular  system  of  mutual  exchange  of  professors  between 
German  and  American  universities  in  every  branch  of  science, 
in  order  to  effect  by  the  interchange  of  thought,  ideas  and 
opinions,  resulting  from  such  direct  intercourse,  a  more  intimate 
fusion  of  the  learning  of  the  German  and  the  American  people, 
as  well  as  a  more  fraternal  feeling  between  them.    He  expected 

Ml 


that  this  would  be  brought  about  by  the  greater  number  of 
students  who  would  be  thus  afforded  an  opportunity  of  com- 
ing into  close  contact  with  the  most  eminent  scholars  of  both 
nations. 

This  plan,  greatly  encouraged  by  Emperor  William  II.  as 
well  as  by  President  Roosevelt,  was  taken  up  first  in  America 
by  Harvard,  later  on  by  Columbia  and  other  universities. 
Carried  on  from  1904  to  1914,  it  was  crowned  with  excellent 
results,  for  in  America  as  well  as  in  Germany  thousands  of 
students,  teachers,  professors,  journalists,  statesmen,  merchants 
and  industrial  workers,  all  desirous  of  learning,  listened  to 
these  emissaries  of  a  friendly  nation.  Among  the  notable 
German  scientists,  who  thus  came  to  America,  were  the  pro- 
fessors Kiihnemann,  Ostwald,  Penck,  Clements,  Lamprecht, 
Dahnel,  Schumacher  and  others;  among  the  American  profes- 
sors, who  visited  Germany,  were  Burgess,  Peabody,  Richards, 
Smith,  Adler  and  others.  That  this  friendly  intercourse 
between  the  two  great  nations  has  been  interrupted,  is  one 
of  the  many  unfortunate  results  of  the  European  war. 

The  influence  of  German  methods  of  education  extended 
also  to  the  lowest  grades  in  schooling,  to  the  kindergarten. 
This  institution,  founded  by  Friedrich  Frobel,  was  first  brought 
over  to  America  by  the  followers  of  Friedrich  Rapp,  the 
sectarian  who  founded  the  communistic  society  New  Harmony 
in  Indiana.  The  kindergarten  of  this  community  was  started 
in  1826.  The  next  ones  were  attempted  by  Caroline  Franken- 
berg  in  Columbus,  Ohio,  and  by  the  wife  of  Carl  Schurz  in 
Watertown,  Wisconsin.  Others  rapidly  followed,  when  Miss 
Elizabeth  Peabody,  having  studied  Frobel's  institutions  in 
Germany,   organized  the   "American  Frobel  Union"  in    1867. 

Of  great  influence  on  American  education  were  also  many 
private  schools,  established  by  able  German  schoolmen  in 
America.  The  best  known  was  founded  in  1851  by  Peter 
Engelmann,  a  refugee  of  the  revolutionary  period  of  1 848, 
in  Milwaukee.  This  institution,  still  existing  under  the  name 
"Deutsch  Englische  Acadernie,,,  received  in  1878  a  higher 
mission  by  its  close  connection  with  the  German  American 
Teachers'  Seminary,  an  institution  which  is  supported  by  vol- 
untary contributions  and  gives  its  pupils  a  thorough  education 
free  of  cost.  Sending  out  every  year  large  numbers  of  excellent 
teachers,  this  seminary  has  become  a  great  factor  in  education. 

Hand  in  hand  with  all  these  institutions  go  several  German- 
istic  societies,  which  strive  to  spread  the  knowledge  of  German 
culture  in  America  by  arranging  lecture  tours  for  prominent 
scientists,  and  by  the  publication  of  the  works  of  the  best 
writers.  Among  the  eminent  Germans,  who  followed  the 
invitations  of  such  societies,  have  been  Carl  Hauptmann, 
Ludwig    Fulda,     Rudolf    Herzog,    Ernst    von    Wolzogen,    the 

128 


scientists    Sombart,    Delitzsch,    Paszkowski,    Bezgld,    Hotzsch, 
Lehmann  and  many  others. 

It  is  of  course  impossible  to  ascertain  in  a  statistical  or  any 
other  way  the  magnitude  and  importance  of  the  influence  of 
German  methods  of  teaching  on  American  institutions.  But 
certainly  the  remarks  made  by  Andrew  D.  White,  President 
Emeritus  of  Cornell  University,  are  true:  "We  may  well  recog- 
nize in  Germany  another  mother  country,  one  with  which  our 
own  land  should  remain  in  warmest  alliance.  For,  from  the 
universities  and  institutions  for  advanced  learning  in  Germany, 
far  more  than  from  those  of  any  other  land,  have  come  and 
are  coming  the  influences  which  have  shaped  and  are  shaping 
advanced  education  in  the  United  States." 


Eminent  Scientists. 

If  it  were  necessary  to  demonstrate  the  internationality  of 
science,  there  is  no  better  evidence  than  the  surprisingly  large 
number  of  learned  Germans  who  participated  in  the  founding 
and  development  of  science  in  America.  Indeed,  a  catalogue 
of  their  names  and  an  enumeration  of  their  works  would 
hardly  find  room  in  this  volume. 

Following  the  German  pioneers  of  science,  already  men- 
tioned in  former  chapters,  as  for  instance  Lederer,  Pastorius, 
Herrman  and  Rittenhausen,  there  appeared  in  later  times  a 
legion  of  others,  many  of  them  the  authors  of  excellent  works 
and  regarded  here  as  high  authorities  in  their  special  lines. 
We  enumerate  Gotthilf  Heinrich  Muhlenberg  (1753-1815) 
as  the  first  to  publish  a  series  of  books  on  the  flora  of  Penn- 
sylvania. One  of  the  "Latin  farmers,"  Georg  Engelmann, 
was  the  first  to  describe  the  unknown  vegetation  of  the  Far 
West.  Not  less  than  1  1  2  valuable  monographs  are  the  product 
of  his  pen  and  the  results  of  his  extensive  and  often  dangerous 
trips  through  the  swamps,  prairies  and  forests  of  Louisiana, 
Arkansas,  Missouri,  Texas  and  other  states.  American  scien- 
tists acknowledged  his  labor  and  perpetuated  his  memory  by 
naming  one  of  the  most  beautiful  pines  of  the  Rocky  Mountains 
"Albis  Engelmanni." 

The  same  honor  was  extended  to  Ferdinand  Jakob  Lind- 
heimer  in  appreciation  of  his  splendid  investigations  of  the 
flora  of  Texas.  As  botanists  distinguished  themselves  also 
Adolf  Wislizenus,  David  von  Schweinitz,  Johann  N.  Neumann, 
Wangenheim,  Fendler,  Rbmer,  Creutzfeld,  Bolander,  Hoff- 
mannsegg,  Rothrock,  Hartweg,  Kuhn,  Metzger  and  many 
others. 

The  first  scientist,  who  investigated  the  fishes  of  American 
waters,  was  David  Schopf,  a  physician,  who  during  the  war 
for  independence  came  to  this  country  with  the  Hessian 
soldiers.  After  the  war  he  remained  here  to  study  the  fishes 
of  New  York  Bay,  of  which  he  furnished  splendid  descriptions. 

The  first  entomologist  was  Friedrich  Valentine  Melsheimer 
(1749-1814).  He  published  the  first  work  about  the  insects 
of  the  Eastern  United  States.  His  brother  Ernst  Melsheimer 
is  the  author  of  a  voluminous  work  on  the  bugs  of  North 
America.  Samuel  Haldeman  was  author  of  several  works 
about  the  sweet-water  mollusk  of  our  continent. 

Gerhard  Troost,  a  pupil  of  the  famous  mining  academy  at 
Freiberg,  Saxony,  was  the  first  who  lectured  in  America  on 
geology.    From  1  8  1  0  to  1827  he  was  professor  of  mineralogy 

130 


in  the  Philadelphia  Museum,  and  was  also  the  founder  and 
first  president  of  the  "Academy  of  Natural  Science."  In  182  7 
he  went  to  Nashville,  where  he  was  appointed  professor  of 
chemistry,  geology,  and  mineralogy,  a  chair  which  he  held 
until  1  850,  the  year  of  his  death.  He  was  also  State  geologist 
of  Tennessee.  One  of  his  colleagues,  Karl  Rominger,  was 
State  geologist  of  Michigan.  The  reports  of  his  explorations, 
carried  on  for  many  years,  were  published  in  four  volumes  in 
1873  to  1881. 

The  famous  naturalist  Johann  Ludwig  Rudolf  Agassiz  must 
be  regarded  as  a  German  scientist,  as  he  received  his  training 
at  the  universities  of  Zurich,  Heidelberg  and  Munich.  At  the 
latter  place  he  took  his  degree  as  doctor  and  became  assistant 
of  the  famous  naturalists  Oken,  Schelling,  Dollinger,  Spix 
and  Martius.  When  the  two  last  named  scientists  returned 
from  their  celebrated  Brazilian  tour,  Agassiz  was  selected  to 
describe  the  fishes,  brought  home  from  this  expedition.  By 
this  work  his  name  became  so  favorably  known,  that  the  king 
of  Prussia  in  1  846  sent  Agassiz  to  America,  to  investigate  the 
natural  history  of  the  United  States. 

The  lectures  he  delivered  here  made  such  deep  impression, 
that  the  Harvard  University  offered  him  a  professorship  under 
so  tempting  conditions,  that  Agassiz  accepted  them  and 
remained  in  America  for  the  rest  of  his  life.  His  many  expedi- 
tions through  North  America,  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  and  the 
Amazonas  River  form  one  of  the  most  brilliant  chapters  in 
the  history  of  American  science.  At  Harvard  the  splendid 
Museum  of  Natural  History,  founded  by  him  is  a  lasting  monu- 
ment to  this  brilliant  scientist.  To  Agassiz  principally  is  the 
credit  due  of  having  animated  immensely  the  interest  of  the 
American  public  in  natural  history.  His  power  of  description 
in  lecturing  as  well  as  in  writing  was  so  inspiring,  that  he  was 
able  to  collect  great  sums  for  his  expeditions  and  his  museum. 

German  naturalists  participated  also  in  many  of  the  explor- 
ing expeditions  sent  out  by  the  U.  S.  Government.  Emil 
Bessels  was  in  1871  a  member  of  the  famous  "Polaris  Expedi- 
tion" under  Captain  Francis  Hall.  After  the  leader's  sudden 
death  Bessels  took  charge  of  the  expedition,  which,  after  a 
terrific  trip  of  196  days  on  a  huge  block  of  ice,  was  saved  by 
the  steamer  "Tigress."  Bessel's  work  about  the  "Polaris  Expe- 
dition" appeared  in  three  volumes. 

To  these  able  naturalists  in  recent  times  the  names  of  many 
others  could  be  added,  as  for  instance  of  the  paleontologist 
Timotbaus  Conrad,  the  biologist  George  Eugen  Beyer,  the 
ornithologist  Heinrich  Nehrling,  who  wrote  a  splendid  volume 
about  the  birds  of  North  America.  Furthermore,  there  are 
the  entomologists  Georg  H.  Horn,  Hermann  von  Bahr,  William 

131 


Beutenmuller,  the  geologist  Eugen  W.  Hilgard,  George  Fer- 
dinand  Becker,   Karl  Schuckert  and   Rudolf  Rudemann,   the 

latter  State  geologist  of  New  York. 

Of  German  descent  is  also  George  Frederick  Kunz,  gem 
expert  and  author  of  the  books  "Gems  and  Precious  Stones  of 
North  America,"  ''Investigations  and  Studies  in  Jade,"  and 
the  "Book  of  the  Pearl,"  all  of  which  were  published  in  the 
most  luxurious  form. 

In  the  wide  field  of  archaeology  and  ethnology  a  number 
of  German  American  scientists  have  achieved  most  remark- 
able results.  Philipp  Valentini,  Karl  Hermann  Berendt,  Gustav 
Briihl  and  Karl  Rau  wrote  splendid  monographs  and  works. 
Adolf  Franz  Bandelier,  born  in  Bern,  Switzerland,  spent  a 
life-time  in  exploring  New  Mexico,  Arizona,  Mexico,  Central- 
and  South- America  in  the  interest  of  the  "Archaeological  Insti- 
tute of  America"  and  the  "American  Museum  of  Natural 
History."  Franz  Boas,  born  in  Westphalia,  made  extensive 
investigations  among  the  Esquimaux  of  Baffin  Land.  He  was 
also  the  originator  and  director  of  the  so-called  "Jesup  Expedi- 
tions," sent  out  by  the  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 
These  expeditions,  financially  supported  by  Morris  Jesup, 
began  in  Spring  1897  and  lasted  for  about  ten  years,  embrac- 
ing the  whole  territory  of  the  Northwest  coast  of  North 
America,  Alaska  and  a  great  part  of  Siberia,  including  the 
Amur.  Their  main  purpose  was  the  ascertaining  of  the 
connections  between  the  aborigines  of  Northeastern  Asia  and 
Northwestern  America.  The  exceedingly  valuable  results  of 
these  expeditions  are  laid  down  in  numerous  monographs, 
published  in  twelve  volumes  by  the  American  Museum  of 
Natural  History,  which  also  owns  the  rich  collections,  brought 
together  by  the  several  expeditions. 

Of  Boas'  pupils  the  German  American  Alfred  L.  Kroeber 
became  known  very  favorably  by  his  works  on  the  Indians 
of  California.  William  S.  Hoffmann,  a  Pennsylvania  German, 
made  himself  known  as  author  of  highly  interesting  mono- 
graphs about  the  Menomonee  Indians  and  the  Esquimaux. 

Important  works  about  different  Indian  languages  have  been 
written  by  the  Moravian  missionaries  David  Zeisberger  and 
Johann  Heckewelder,  and  by  Albert  S.  Gatschet. 

As  scientific  director  of  several  expeditions,  sent  by  the 
University  of  Pennsylvania  to  Asia  Minor  and  Babylonia, 
Hermann  Volrath  Hilprecht  has  become  widely  known.  The 
results  of  these  researches  have  been  published  in  several  valu- 
able works,  of  which  the  book  "Explorations  in  Bible  Lands 
during  the    19th  Century"  has  found  wide  circulation. 

Of  the  excellent  works  of  Franz  Lieber  mention  has  been 
made  in  another  chapter. 

A  man  of  equal  eminence  was  Hermann  Eduard  von  Hoist, 
professor   of  American   history  in   the  University  of  Chicago. 

132 


His  principal  work  is  "The  Constitutional  and  Political  History 
of  the  United  States,"  which  appeared  first  in  the  German 
language  under  the  title  "Verfassung  und  Demokratie  der 
Vereinigten  Staaten  von  Amerika." 

Splendid  works  on  politics,  science  and  political  economy 
have  been  produced  also  by  Karl  Gustav  Rumelin,  Friedrich 
List,  Johann  Tellkampf ,  E.  R.  Seligman,  Frank  William  Taussig 
and  Paul  S.  Reinsch.  Of  the  German  philologists  Alexander 
J.  Schem  produced  in  1869-1874  a  German-American  Con- 
versations Lexikon  of  eleven  volumes. 

Many  are  the  works  of  German  scholars  of  more  recent 
times.  Especially  noteworthy  among  these  men  are  Karl  G. 
von  Jagemann,  Hermann  Collitz,  Julius  Goebel,  Georg  Hench, 
H.  G.  Brandt,  Camillo  von  Klenze,  Hermann  Schoenfeld, 
A.  R.  Hohlfeld,  Ernst  Voss,  Karl  Jessen,  Richard  C.  Schiedt, 
Friedrich  Hirth,  Paul  Haupt,  Hermann  Knapp  and  John  M. 
Schaeberle.  Albert  A.  Michelson,  professor  of  physics  at  the 
University  of  Chicago,  well  known  for  brilliant  research  work 
in  light,  won  the  rare  distinction  of  being  awarded  the  famous 
Noble  Prize  of  $40,000. 

Kuno  Francke,  since  1  884  professor  of  German  literature 
in  Harvard,  and  since  1903  curator  of  the  Germanic  Museum, 
is  author  of  a  number  of  widely  read  works,  among  them 
"A  History  of  German  Literature,"  "German  Ideals  of  To- 
day," "Glimpses  of  Modern  German  Culture,"  etc.  To  the 
fertile  pen  of  Hugo  Miinsterberg,  professor  of  psychology  in 
Harvard,  we  owe  "Psychology  and  Social  Science,"  "Eternal 
Values,"  and  several  other  valuable  works. 

Of  the  works  of  Felix  Adler,  the  founder  of  the  "New  York 
Society  for  Ethical  Culture,"  the  volumes  "Creed  and  Deed," 
"Life  and  Destiny,"  "Marriage  and  Divorce"  deserve  mention 
as  of  lasting  merit. 

German  scientists  have  by  example  and  exhortation  intro- 
duced into  the  scientific  research  work  of  America  persever- 
ance, seriousness  and  thoroughness,  qualities  which  for  true 
science  mean  infinitely  much.  "German  thoroughness,"  so 
said  Professor  Ira  Remsen,  President  of  Johns  Hopkins  Uni- 
versity, "is  an  expression  often  used.  To  the  scholar  it  means 
everything.  Whatever  other  virtues  science  may  have,  they 
count  little  without  thoroughness.  If  I  were  asked,  what 
America  owes  to  Germany  most,  I  would  answer  without 
hesitation:  the  virtue  of  thoroughness." 


>M 


Engineers  of  Distinction. 

The  United  States  are  admittedly  a  country  of  great 
engineers.  This  fact  is  not  surprising,  as  the  topographical 
conditions  of  no  other  country  offer  to  engineers  so  many  and 
extraordinary  opportunities  to  display  their  abilities  and  genius. 
The  country  abounds  in  broad  rivers  and  deep  canons;  vast 
prairies  and  deserts  are  to  be  transversed;  steep  mountain 
ranges  must  be  overcome.  To  conquer  all  these  obstacles, 
where  they  interfere  with  commerce  and  communication,  are 
fascinating  problems  that  call  for  the  exercise  of  highest  mental 
powers,  for  rare  ability  and  genius. 

Among  the  masterminds  who  grew  with  the  solution  of 
such  problems,  we  find  so  many  Germans  and  German  Amer- 
icans, that  it  is  indeed  not  said  too  much,  that  the  history  of 
engineering  in  the  United  States  is  almost  identical  with  the 
history  of  the  German-American  engineers. 

When  in  1813  Ludwig  Wernweg  built  a  wooden  bridge 
across  the  Delaware  River  at  Trenton ;  when  Albert  von  Stein 
constructed  the  waterworks  of  Cincinnati,  Richmond,  Lynch- 
burg, New  Orleans,  Nashville  and  Mobile;  when  he  also  made 
the  Appomatox  Canal  in  Virginia;  when  the  Swabian  Gindele 
dug  a  canal  connecting  Michigan  Lake  with  the  Mississippi, 
and  also  the  great  tunnel,  through  which  Chicago  is  provided 
with  fresh  water  from  the  Michigan  Lake,  all  these  works  were 
admired  as  such,  doing  great  honor  to  the  skill  of  their  makers. 

But  far  greater  works  were  still  to  come.  Hermann  Haupt, 
born  1817  in  Philadelphia,  a  graduate  of  West  Point,  con- 
structed in  1856-1861  the  famous  Hoosac-tunnel  in  Massachu- 
setts, having  a  length  of  4^4  miles  and  costing  1 6  million 
dollars.  He,  too,  demonstrated  the  possibility  of  carrying  coal 
oil  long  distances  by  pipes,  effecting  thereby  to  the  refineries 
a  saving  of  enormous  sums. 

Gifted  with  equal  genius  was  Adolf  Sutro,  born  1830  in 
Rhenish  Prussia.  Having  received  his  training  in  a  German 
polytechnic  school,  Sutro  came  to  New  York  in  1850.  Ten 
years  later  he  transferred  his  activity  to  Nevada.  Here  the 
Comstock  silver  mines,  discovered  in  1859,  yielded  enormous 
profits,  but  the  work  could  be  carried  on  only  under  enormous 
difficulties,  as  the  shafts  had  been  sunk  to  a  depth  of  2000 
feet.  In  these  great  depths  the  miners  suffered  not  only  by 
almost  unbearable  heat  and  poisonous  gases,  but  also  from 
large  quantities  of  water,  collecting  in  the  shafts.  Several 
of  the  mines  had  been  flooded  and  were  abandoned. 

While  visiting  the  Comstock  mines,  Sutro  conceived  the  idea 

134 


of  connecting  the  widely  separated  mines  by  a  wide  tunnel, 
which  was  to  serve  not  only  as  a  ventilator  and  a  drain,  but 
would  also  be  an  important  factor  in  cheapening  the  cost  of 
hauling  ore.  It  took  many  years,  before  Sutro  succeeded  in 
convincing  the  mine  operators  of  the  feasibility  of  his  plan. 
And  when  their  timidity  and  objections  had  been  overcome, 
he  was  compelled  to  defend  his  project  against  envious  rivals, 
who  were  eager  to  snatch  the  fruits  of  his  labors  from  him. 
After  innumerable  troubles  and  disappointments  Sutro  at  last 
came  into  position  to  begin  on  October  19,  1869,  with  the 
gigantic  undertaking.  1 800  feet  below  the  surface  of  the 
earth  he  constructed  a  tunnel,  1  0  feet  high,  1  2  feet  wide  and 
20,489  feet  long.  In  connection  with  this  main  tunnel  were 
several  lateral  ones,  leading  to  the  various  mines.  The  total 
length  of  all  the  tunnels  was  33,315  feet,  or  about  6J  miles. 
The  difficulties  to  be  overcome  were  extraordinary,  as  with 
the  progress  of  the  work  the  temperature  at  the  face  of 
the  rock  increased  from  72°  to  114°  Fahrenheit.  Two  or 
three  hours  of  work  were  all  the  strongest  and  most  experi- 
enced miners  could  endure.  The  mules  often  refused  to  enter 
the  tunnel,  and  they  were  dragged  by  main  strength  from  the 
air-escapes.  Endurance  was  being  strained  to  its  utmost  cap- 
acity. Man  after  man  dropped  down  on  the  rocky  floor  and 
was  carried  to  the  surface,  babbling  and  incoherent,  to  slowly 
recover  from  the  poisonous  air. 

To  the  terrific  heat  came  the  constant  battle  with  streams 
of  hot  water,  the  temperature  of  which  was  never  below  1  00°, 
and  which  often  entered  the  tunnel  at  130°  and  even  160° 
Fahrenheit.  To  get  rid  of  it,  a  thousand  workmen  began  to 
cut  a  drain  channel  five  feet  wide  down  the  middle  of  the 
tunnel  floor.  The  amount  of  flow  in  1  880  was  not  less  than 
1,300,000,000  gallons,  and  as  other  mines  began  to  use  the 
tunnel,  the  total  annual  drainage  rose  at  times  to  nearly  two 
billion  gallons. 

In  October  1878  the  tunnels  were  completed  and  ventilated 
by  several  vertical  airshafts.  Furthermore  they  were  provided 
with  a  net  of  railways  and  stations,  where  by  immense 
machines  the  ore  was  lifted  to  the  surface.  The  whole  cost 
amounted  to  about  6J  million  dollars.  The  tunnel  proved  to 
be  all  that  its  projector  had  anticipated,  and  though  in  later 
years  it  fell  in  disuse,  it  was  looked  upon  as  one  of  the  greatest 
triumphs  of  engineering. 

Other  mining  engineers  of  note  were  Frederick  Anton  Eilers; 
Max  Boehmer;  Albert  Arents,  inventor  of  the  lead-mine 
machinery;  C.  W.  Kirchhoff ;  F.  Augustus  Heinze,  founder  of 
the  Amalgamated  Copper  Company,  C.  de  Kalb,  Herman 
Gmelin,  and  others,  who  as  consulting  engineers  or  presidents 
of  mining  corporations  rank  high  in  their  profession  and  are 
known  throughout  the  Union. 

135 


Herman  Schiisseie  constructed  the  great  waterwork  of  San 
Francisco.  His  monograph  on  "The  water  supply  of  San 
Francisco  before,  during  and  after  the  earthquake  of  April  1  8, 
1906,"  is  a  valuable  contribution  to  technical  literature. 

The  greatest  achievements  in  engineering,  however,  have 
been  accomplished  in  America  by  German  bridge-builders. 
The  names  of  Albert  Fink,  Adolf  Bonzano,  Heinrich  Flad, 
Johann  August  Roebling,  Washington  Roebling,  Konrad 
Schneider,  Gustav  Lindenthal,  Eduard  Hemberle  and  Paul 
Wolfel  are  inseparably  connected  with  the  history  of  engineer- 
ing in  America.  Several  of  these  men  were  rufugees  of  1  848, 
as  for  instance  Albert  Fink.  Born  1827  at  Lauterbach,  he 
had  been  trained  at  the  polytechnic  school  of  Darmstadt.  In 
1  849  he  emigrated  to  America  and  entered  the  service  of  the 
Baltimore  &  Ohio  Railroad,  for  which  he  constructed  many 
viaducts  and  iron  bridges,  among  them  the  great  iron  bridge 
over  the  Ohio  River  at  Louisville.  In  the  construction  of  these 
bridges  he  employed  an  invention  of  his  own,  a  system  of 
girders  allowing  of  a  length  of  span  theretofore  unknown. 

The  greatest  of  these  girders  are  found  in  the  Ohio  River 
Bridge  at  Louisville,  which  has  a  total  length  of  5,310  feet. 
Of  its  2  7  spans  the  largest  measure  340  and  360  feet. 

Several  of  the  viaducts,  constructed  by  Fink,  especially 
those  over  the  ravines  of  Cheat  Mountain,  were  considered 
the  most  marvellous  of  their  kind.  A  brilliant  test  of  the 
abilities  of  Fink  was  the  Civil  War,  during  which  he  was 
charged  with  the  supervision  of  all  military  railroads  in  Ken- 
tucky and  Tennessee.  On  this  most  contested  battleground 
the  Confederates  made  it  their  rule  to  destroy  all  railways, 
bridges  and  viaducts  they  could  lay  hand  on.  But  as  soon 
as  they  retreated,  Fink  followed  in  their  wake,  rebuilding  with 
astonishing  rapidity  what  they  had  demolished,  aquitting  him- 
self of  this  task  of  highest  military  importance  in  a  most  credit- 
able manner. 

A  factor  of  no  less  importance  in  this  regard  was  Heinrich 
Flad,  born  in  1824  in  Baden.  Having  studied  engineering  at 
the  university  in  Munich,  he  participated  as  colonel  of  a  batal- 
lion  of  engineers  in  the  revolution  of  1  848.  In  1  849  he  arrived 
in  America  and  was  for  a  number  of  years  very  successful  in 
constructing  of  western  railroads.  At  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil 
War  he  entered  the  3d  regiment  of  volunteers  of  Missouri,  but 
soon  became  captain  of  the  Western  Regiment  of  Engineers. 
In  this  capacity  he  rendered  services  in  the  reconstruction  of 
destroyed  roads,  the  value  of  which  can  be  appreciated  only 
by  those  who  know  the  eminent  importance  of  railroads  for 
the  movements  and  support  of  armies  engaged  in  actual  war- 
fare. 

After  the  war  Flad  designed  in  connection  with  J.  P.  Kirk- 
wood  the  plans  for  the  waterworks  of  St.  Louis,  and  later  on, 

136 


in  connection  with  Captain  James  B.  Eads  the  plans  for  the 
famous  Mississippi  River  Bridge  at  St.  Louis.  It  was  in  the 
execution  of  this  structure,  that  Flad's  skill  in  the  overcoming 
of  technical  difficulties  and  in  the  application  of  scientific 
principles  appeared  in  the  most  brilliant  light. 

After  the  completion  of  this  bridge,  which  is  of  classic 
beauty,  Flad  was  elected  president  of  public  works  in  St. 
Louis,  and  in  1890  was  appointed  by  President  Harrison  as 
chief  of  the  Mississippi  River  Commission,  which  office  he 
held  until  his  death  in   1898. 

A  contemporary  of  Fink  and  Flad  was  Adolf  Bonzano, 
born  1830  in  Wiirtemberg.  As  chief  engineer  and  vice-presi- 
dent of  the  Phoenix  Bridge  Company  he  made  the  designs 
for  many  railroad-bridges.  The  most  interesting  of  his  works 
was  a  viaduct  across  the  valley  of  the  Kinzua  River  in  Penn- 
sylvania, which  is  1800  feet  wide  and  270  feet  deep.  This 
viaduct,  completed  in  1882,  rested  on  twenty  towers,  each 
constructed  of  four  iron  pillars.  The  aspect  of  this  work, 
which  was  completed  within  only  8  months,  was  most  startling. 

A  complete  revolution  in  bridge-building  was  brought  about 
during  the  midst  of  the  19th  century  by  Johann  August  Roeb- 
ling,  born  June  12,  1806,  at  Mtihlhausen,  Thuringia.  Soon 
after  his  graduation  from  the  Royal  Polytechnicum  at  Berlin 
he  emigrated  to  the  United  States  and  established  himself  at 
Saxonburg,  Pa.  There  he  developed  the  manufacture  of  wire 
cable  for  use  in  bridge  construction  to  a  degree  unknown  before. 
Bridge-building  then  was,  in  comparison  to  its  present  perfec- 
tion, in  the  first  stages  of  development.  Suspension-bridges  were 
known,  but  the  platforms  were  hung  on  heavy  iron  chains, 
the  links  of  which  possessed  notwithstanding  their  weight  no 
great  holding  capacity.  Besides,  for  spans  of  more  than  1  80 
feet  they  were  impracticable.  It  remained  for  Roebling  to 
substitute  a  system  of  wire-cables,  the  enormous  carrying  cap- 
acity of  which  he  demonstrated  first  in  1  845  in  a  suspended 
aqueduct  of  the  Pennsylvania  Canal  carried  across  the  Mon- 
ongahela  River.  This  was  soon  followed  by  the  Monongahela 
suspension  bridge  at  Pittsburg  and  the  suspension  railway 
bridge   across   the   Niagara   River. 

When  Roebling  made  public  the  plans  for  the  latter 
undertaking,  the  most  eminent  engineers  of  America  and 
Europe  regarded  a  bridge  of  this  kind  foredoomed  to 
failure,  no  suspension  bridges  having  ever  been  built  for 
railway  traffic,  and  the  width  of  the  enormous  gorge,  cut 
into  the  rocks  by  the  foaming  river,  being  more  than  820 
feet.  Not  discouraged  by  such  apprehensions  and  dire  predic- 
tions Roebling  went  to  work  in  September  1852.  Difficulties 
came  with  the  question  of  how  to  carry  the  first  wire  across 
the  ca;7on,  as  no  boatman  nor  swimmer  would  risk  his  life  in 
the  terrific  whirlpools  of  the  river.    After  many  fruitless  efforts 

137 


Roebling  conceived  the  idea  of  bringing  a  strong  silk  thread 
from  the  American  to  the  Canadian  shore  by  means  of  a  kite. 
This  idea  proving  successful,  the  first  wire  was  pulled  over, 
and  now  the  spinning  of  the  cables  began.  There  were  four 
of  them,  every  one  consisting  of  3640  strands.  The  ends  of 
these  cables  were  attached  to  cast-iron  shoes  and  anchored  in 


JOHANN   AUGUST   ROEBLING. 

chambers  cut  in  the  rock  behind  the  two  towers,  which  carried 
the  cables.  The  superstructure  of  the  bridge  had  two  floors, 
the  upper  one  for  railroads,  and  the  lower  one  for  vehicles 
and  pedestrians.  The  bridge  was  commenced  in  September, 
1852,  and  opened  for  traffic  on  March  16,  1855.  Its  cost 
amounted  to  only  400,000  dollars. 

138 


wm 


The  location  of  this  bridge  was  the  most  picturesque  in  the 
world.  With  its  shapely  towers  rising  from  either  bank  of  the 
Niagara  River,  and  the  long,  graceful  sweep  of  its  cables,  it 
seemed  almost  a  natural  part  of  the  surrounding  scenery.  The 
famous  Falls  in  the  distance  and  the  Whirlpool  Rapids  beneath 
lent  a  particular  charm  to  the  airy  appearance  of  the  bridge 
itself. 

In  1855,  when  the  first  train  passed  over  the  bridge,  loco- 
motives did  not  exceed  25  tons  in  weight,  and  cars  had  a 
capacity  of  16  tons;  now,  engines  weigh  1  00  to  150  tons,  and 
cars  carry  30  to  40  tons  of  material.  In  addition,  the  number 
of  trains  passing  to  and  fro  has  increased  enormously.  In 
consequence,  the  bridge  in  late  years  was  taxed  far  beyond 
the  capacity  for  which  it  was  designed,  and  was  taken  down 
in  1897,  giving  place  to  a  wider  and  heavier  structure  propor- 
tioned to  the  requirements.  When  the  bridge  was  taken  apart, 
the  cables,  manufactured  by  Roebling  forty-five  years  ago, 
were  found  to  be  in  perfect  condition,  and  as  elastic  as  they 
had  been  when  originally  put  into  their  places. 

The  completion,  in  1867,  of  the  still  more  remarkable 
suspension  bridge  over  the  Ohio  River  at  Cincinnati  with  a 
main  span  of  105  7  feet  added  greatly  to  Roebling's  reputation. 
This  bridge  is  carried  by  two  cables,  each  consisting  of  1  0,360 
strands. 

The  last  and  greatest  masterpiece  of  Roebling  was,  however, 
the  famous  suspension  bridge  between  New  York  and  Brook- 
lyn. The  rapid  growth  of  the  two  cities  and  the  inability  of 
the  ferries  to  handle  the  enormous  traffic  made  better  con- 
nections between  the  cities  an  imperative  necessity.  But  an 
increase  in  the  number  of  ferries  was  out  of  question,  as  there 
was  no  more  space  for  landing  slips.  The  only  solution  was 
a  bridge.  But  the  local  conditions  were  so  extraordinary, 
that  no  one  believed  in  the  feasibility  of  such  an  idea.  Not  only 
was  the  distance  between  the  shores  of  Manhattan  and  Long 
Island  very  great,  but  also  the  East  River  between  was  too 
deep  and  rapid,  to  permit  the  laying  of  a  foundation  for  a 
pillar  in  its  midst. 

In  view  of  this  desperate  situation  Roebling  concluded  to 
apply  his  system  of  suspension  bridges,  which  had  so  far  stood 
all  tests,  at  this  place  also.  It  took  ten  years  to  design  and 
digest  the  plans  for  the  gigantic  undertaking,  as  the  conditions 
to  be  reckoned  with  commanded  the  most  careful  attention  to 
the  smallest  details,  as  the  slightest  error  in  the  calculation  of 
the  strength  of  the  cables,  towers  and  foundations  might  result 
in  terrible  disaster.  Just  as  difficult  as  this  preliminary  work 
was  the  task  of  procuring  the  building  funds.  At  many  places, 
where  Roebling  hoped  to  receive  assistance,  he  found  closed 
doors.  Of  the  1  \  million  dollars  subscribed  by  the  City  of  New 
York  and  of  the  300,000  dollars  subscribed  by  Brooklyn,  large 

140 


sums  disappeared  into  the  pockets  of  dishonest  city  officials, 
who  had  been  entrusted  with  the  administration  of  the  funds. 
In  the  end  Roebling  succeeded  in  interesting  a  rich  banker  in 
his  scheme,  who  organized  the  New  York  Bridge  Company 
with  a  capital  of  5   million  dollars. 

In  spring  of  1 869  all  these  preliminary  steps  had  been 
completed.  Now  at  last  the  practical  work  could  begin.  But 
an  envious  fate  stepped  in  to  prevent  the  great  engineer  from 
witnessing  his  highest  triumph.  While  personally  engaged  in 
laying  out  the  towers  of  the  bridge,  Roebling  was  unfortunately 
injured  by  a  falling  piece  of  timber  so  that  several  of  his  toes 
had  to  be  amputated.  The  operation  was  successful;  but  a 
few  days  later  tetanus  set  in,  to  which  the  great  man  suc- 
cumbed, July  22,  1869. 

The  grave  responsibility  of  superintending  the  enormous 
work  now  fell  to  Roebling' s  oldest  son,  Washington  Augustus 
Roebling.  Problems  of  greatest  difficulty  came  with  the  pro- 
viding of  secure  foundations  for  the  two  stone  towers,  on 
which  the  four  cables  of  the  bridge  were  to  rest.  To  give  free 
passage  to  all  vessels,  the  platform  of  the  bridge  had  been 
projected  1  35  feet  above  high  watermark.  Accordingly  the 
two  towers  were  to  have  a  height  of  2  76|  feet  above  high 
water.  As  they  were  to  be  of  granite,  it  was  necessary  to 
construct  exceptionally  strong  foundations.  By  careful  investi- 
gations it  was  found,  however,  that  solid  rock,  on  which  the 
towers  could  safely  rest,  was  80  feet  below  the  water  level. 
To  reach  it,  enormous  banks  of  mud,  mixed  with  gravel  and 
stones,  must  be  penetrated.  So  it  became  necessary  to  con- 
struct over  the  places  selected  for  the  towers  two  enormous 
caissons,  boxlike  chambers  of  iron  and  heavy  beams.  The 
caisson  on  the  Manhattan  side  was  120  feet  wide  and  172 
feet  long.  Their  lower  parts  formed  into  air  chambers  7  feet 
high  and  resting  upon  the  bed  of  the  river.  Air  was  pumped 
into  these  sub-aqueous  and  gas-lighted  rooms  by  powerful 
machines  at  a  pressure  corresponding  to  their  depth  below 
the  surface  of  the  water,  while  the  excavating  was  carried  on 
by  men  working  in  the  compressed  air  as  in  a  large  diving 
bell.  Day  in  and  out  236  men  were  here  engaged  in  remov- 
ing the  mud  and  gravel,  while  at  the  same  time  the  building 
of  the  towers  on  top  of  the  caissons  went  on,  forcing  with 
their  ever  increasing  weight  the  lower  end  of  the  caissons 
deeper  and  deeper  into  the  river  bed. 

It  cannot  surprise,  that  the  daily  work  in  such  sub-aqueous 
rooms,  under  high  pressure,  caused  serious  inconveniences  to 
the  laborers.  Soon  they  began  to  suffer  from  the  dreadful 
caisson-disease,  many  cases  of  which  resulting  in  death.  Roeb- 
ling also  was  prostrated  early  in  1872  with  it  and  was  com- 
pelled for  a  while  to  give  up  active  work,  but  his  intellectual 
faculties  remained  unimpaired.      There  were  also  other  unfor- 

141 


tunate  events.  In  January,  1871,  in  the  caisson  at  the  Brooklyn 
side  a  fire  broke  out,  causing  a  loss  of  15,000  dollars.  A  fire 
below  the  waves  of  East  River! 

After  many  difficulties  the  foundations  as  well  as  the  towers 
were  completed  and  now  the  construction  of  the  four  cables 
was  to  begin.     As  it  would  have  been  impossible  to  lift  their 


enormous  weight  to  the  top  of  the  towers,  there  was  no  other 
way  than  to  spin  them  between  the  towers  in  open  air.  The 
first  strand  was  run  out  May  29,  1876.  Others  followed  and 
soon  the  workmen  could  be  seen,  hanging  at  these  strands  in 
little  boxes,  and  busy  to  unite  5296  galvanized  steel-oil-coated 
wires  into  a  solid  rope   1  5f  inches  in  diameter. 

142 


Serious  accidents  happened  here  also.  When  after  two 
years'  labor  the  four  cables  were  finished,  on  June  19,  1878, 
suddenly  the  anchorage  of  one  of  the  cables  broke  and  the 
cable  fell  with  tremendous  noise  into  the  river,  killing  several 
of  the  workmen.  So  the  difficult  work  had  to  be  done 
over  again. 

At  last,  on  May  24,  1  883,  the  tremendous  work  was  accom- 
plished. The  day  of  its  dedication  was  a  national  event.  All 
vessels  in  New  York  Bay  appeared  bedecked  with  flags,  while 
the  numerous  men-of-war  saluted.  The  President  of  the  United 
States  and  more  than  100,000  visitors  from  all  parts  of  the 
country  paid  homage  to  the  memory  of  the  genius,  whose 
master  mind  had  conceived  this  colossal  work. 

To  give  an  idea  of  the  great  work,  it  may  be  stated  that 
it  measures  5989  feet  in  length.  It  consists  of  a  central  span 
1595^  feet  in  length  from  tower  to  tower,  and  of  two  spans 
of  930  feet,  and  1860  feet,  respectively,  from  the  towers  to 
the  anchorage  on  either  side.  The  length  of  the  Brooklyn 
approach  is  971  feet,  and  of  the  New  York  approach  1562 
feet.  The  bridge  has  a  width  of  85  feet.  The  roadway  is 
divided  into  a  central  promenade  with  a  single  track  on  either 
side  for  rapid  transit,  and  a  platform  for  passengers,  which  is 
in  turn  flanked  by  a  tramway  for  wheeled  vehicles. 

The  actual  cost  of  the  bridge,  which  has  withstood  in  the 
course  of  now  33  years  harder  usage  than  any  other  bridge 
in  the  world,  was  nearly  $15,000,000. 

Another  prominent  builder  of  bridges  was  Conrad  Schneider, 
born  1843  in  Apolda,  Thuringia.  While  he  was  not  the  first 
man  to  build  a  cantilever  bridge  in  the  United  States,  he, 
however,  developed  this  system  to  perfection.  His  most 
remarkable  work  is  the  Niagara  Cantilever  Bridge,  two  miles 
below  the  Niagara  Falls.  Spanning  the  chasm  of  850  feet  in 
width,  the  main  body  is  2  1 0  feet  above  the  surface  of  the 
roaring  river.  The  structure  has  a  double  track.  It  consists 
of  two  cantilevers,  each  395  feet,  resting  on  the  towers,  the 
shore  end  being  anchored  to  the  anchorage  piers,  and  the  river 
ends  connected  by  an  intermediate  span.  The  work  was  begun 
in  1882,  but  so  vigorously  pushed,  that  the  bridge  was  com- 
pleted and  opened  for  traffic  December  20,    1883. 

Schneider  also  constructed  the  cantilever  bridges  crossing 
the  Fraser  River  in  British  Columbia.  Furthermore  he  designed 
the  plans  for  the  Washington  Bridge  over  the  Harlem  River 
at   181st  Street,   New  York  City. 

Among  the  most  efficient  bridge  builders  of  recent  times  is 
counted  Eduard  Hemberle,  who  constructed  several  railroad 
bridges  across  the  Hudson,  the  Ohio,  Mississippi  and  Missouri; 
furthermore  Paul  L.  Wolfel,  chief  engineer  of  the  American 
Bridge  Company. 

A  worthy  successor  of  Roebling  appeared  in    1874  in  the 

143 


person  of  Gustav  Lindenthal,  born  1850  in  Brunn,  Austria, 
and  a  student  of  colleges  in  Brunn  and  Vienna.  Having  been 
employed  on  survey  and  construction  of  railroads  and  bridges 
in  Austria,  Switzerland  and  some  Western  railroads,  he  moved 
in  1892  to  New  York,  where  he  was  appointed  bridge  com- 
missioner during  the  administration  of  Seth  Low.  He  com- 
pleted the  construction  of  the  so-called  Williamsburg  Bridge, 
a  suspension  bridge  over  the  East  River  between  New  York 
and  Long  Island,  a  short  distance  north  of  Roebling's  bridge. 
He  also  made  the  original  plans  for  the  Blackwells  Island 
Bridge  and  the  Manhattan  Bridge. 

Lindenthal  was  also  a  member  of  the  board  of  six  consulting 
engineers,  which  planned  the  tunnels  and  terminal  of  the  Penn- 
sylvania Railroad  under  the  East  River  and  the  Hudson  River. 
Another  of  his  works  is  a  railway-bridge,  which  spans  the 
canon  of  the  Kentucky  River  at  a  place  where  it  is  1  000  feet 
wide  and  345   feet  deep. 

Lindenthal  is  likewise  engineer  and  architect  of  Hell  Gate 
Bridge,  a  mammoth  steel  structure,  and  the  most  imposing 
part  of  the  Connecting  Railroad,  which  is  six  miles  long  and 
forms  a  link  in  through  transportation  between  Quebec, 
Canada,  and  Tampa,  Florida.  The  whole  length  of  the  bridge 
from  the  New  Haven  tracks  to  the  Long  Island  connection 
with  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad's  passenger  tunnel  is  a  little 
over  three  and  a  half  miles.  The  steel  arch,  rising  to  320 
feet,  has  a  clear  span  over  the  main  channel  of  1017  feet. 
The  clearing  from  the  high  water  to  the  platform  is  1  35  feet, 
the  same  as  the  other  bridges  across  the  East  River.  The 
arch  is  able  to  support  not  only  its  own  vast  weight  of  28,000 
tons,  but  the  added  load  of  forty-eight  of  the  heaviest  loco- 
motives. Unquestionably  the  bridge  can  be  regarded  as  the 
biggest  and  strongest  in  the  world,  for  there  is  no  other  bridge 
in  existence  or  proposed  that  is  expected  to  bear  a  burden 
of  this  colossal  character.  The  structure  has  four  railroad  tracks. 

For  a  number  of  years  Lindenthal  has  been  at  work  on  the 
plans  for  a  bridge  across  the  Hudson  River  between  New  York 
City  and  New  Jersey.  According  to  these  plans  the  bridge 
will  be  in  all  dimensions  twice  as  large  as  Roebling's  Suspen- 
sion Bridge  between  New  York  and  Brooklyn.  The  main  span 
is  intended  to  be  2900  feet  long  and  the  height  of  the  two 
steel  towers  660  feet.  Unfortunately  the  plans  came  to  a 
stand-still  when  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad,  to  which  falls  the 
lion  share  of  traffic  between  New  York  and  New  Jersey, 
decided  to  built  instead  of  a  bridge  a  tunnel.  Still,  this  does 
not  mean  that  Lindenthal's  scheme  will  be  abandoned.  The 
marvellous  increase  in  the  traffic  between  New  York  and  New 
Jersey  compels  the  adoption  of  ever  new  and  greater  means 
of  communication.  And  so  it  is  quite  possible  that  within 
the  space  of  ten  to  twenty  years  from  now  the  two  shores  of 

144 


J     £ 


the  Hudson  River  will  also  be  linked  by  a  wonderful  bridge, 
the  masterpiece  of  a  German  engineer. 

Of  electrical  engineers,  a  great  number  of  whom  are  Ger- 
mans, Emil  Berliner  should  be  mentioned,  the  inventor  of  the 
grammophone.  Furthermore  F.  B.  Herzog,  inventor  of  auto- 
matic switch-boards,  elevator  signals,  police  calls,  and  tele- 
phone devices;  so  also  Bernhard  Arthur  Behrend,  advisory 
engineer  of  the  Westinghouse  Electric  and  Manufacturing 
Company  and  inventor  of  electrical  machines,  which  received 
a  grand  prize  at  St.   Louis  in    1904. 

Frank  Koester  in  New  York  is  known  as  creator  of  great 
electric  power  stations,  among  them  those  of  the  Potomac 
Electric  Power  Company  in  Washington,  D.  C,  and  of  the 
Delaware  &  Hudson  Company  in  Mechanicsville,  N.  Y. 

Most  famed  of  electrical  engineers  is  Karl  P.  Steinmetz.  born 
at  Breslau  in  1865.  When  a  student  at  the  university  he 
became  soon  deeply  interested  in  electricity.  At  that  time  little 
was  known  about  this  mysterious  power.  Arc-lights  were 
looked  upon  as  a  curiosity.  Of  dynamos,  motors  and  other 
electric  apparatus  nobody  had  conceived  any  idea.  Since  his 
arrival  in  the  United  States  Steinmetz  became  one  of  the  most 
successful  investigators  of  electricity. 

His  own  discoveries  and  brilliant  inventions  in  this  field  are 
too  numerous  and  complicated  for  description  in  any  but  a 
professional  work.  Since  a  number  of  years  Steinmetz  occupies 
the  position  of  consulting  engineer  at  the  "General  Electric 
Company"  in  Schenectady,  N.  Y.  Here  he  stands  at  the  head 
of  an  army  of  about  35,000  men.  In  what  respect  he  is  held 
by  scientists,  appears  from  a  remark  made  by  the  president  of 
Harvard  University.  When  this  institution  bestowed  upon 
Steinmetz  the  degree  of  an  honorary  doctor,  the  president  said: 
"I  confer  this  degree  upon  you  as  the  foremost  electrical 
engineer  of  the  United  States,  and,  therefore,  of  the  world!" 


Organizers  of  Traffic  and  Transportation. 

It  is  a  well  known  fact  that  certain  important  inventions  and 
innovations  have  been  made  simultaneously  at  widely  sep- 
arated places  of  the  globe.  So  for  instance  the  institution  of 
the  railway  can  be  ascribed  to  England  as  well  as  to  America. 
As  in  England  the  first  railroads  were  installed  for  the  trans- 
portation of  coal  to  the  sea,  so  a  Pennsylvania  German, 
Thomas  Leiper  of  Philadelphia,  constructed  in  1  806  what  is 
believed  to  have  been  the  first  railroad  in  America.  It  was 
used  for  the  transportation  of  stone  from  Leiper's  granite 
quarries  in  Delaware  County,  Pa.,  to  a  boat  landing  on  Ridley 
Creek,  a  distance  of  about  one  mile.  To  facilitate  the  haul  for 
the  horses,  Leiper  invented  special  trucks,  whose  wheels  of 
cast-iron  he  fitted  exactly  to  two  iron  rails.  This  made  the 
hauling  so  easy,  that  one  horse  could  draw  loads  of  from  three 
to  four  times  the  former  weight. 

On  the  further  development  of  railroads  in  America  men 
of  German  descent  have  exerted  considerable  influence.  In 
the  hands  of  companies  of  German  origin,  such  as  the  J.  G. 
Brill  Company  in  Philadelphia,  the  St.  Louis  Car  Company 
and  the  Wagner  Palace  Car  Company,  the  making  of  railroad 
cars  of  all  kinds  became  a  regular  science.  Their  excellent 
cars  are  known  for  comfort  and  beauty. 

An  invention  of  greatest  importance  for  the  safety  of  pas- 
sengers, the  celebrated  Westinghouse  air-brake,  has  also  been 
made  by  an  American  of  German  origin,  George  Westinghouse. 

As  is  stated  in  "Men  and  Women  of  America"  (edition 
1910,  page  1571)  the  Westinghouses  came  from  Germany 
and  settled  in  Massachusetts  and  Vermont.  Westinghouse's 
father  was  an  inventor,  who  moved  to  Central  Bridge,  Scho- 
harie County,  N.  Y.,  where  George  Westinghouse  was  born 
October  6,  1846.  In  1856  the  family  moved  to  Schenectady, 
where  young  Westinghouse  visited  the  public  and  high  schools. 
Much  of  his  time  he  spent  in  his  father's  machine  shop,  and 
a  rotary  engine  was  invented  by  him  before  he  was  fifteen. 
Going  to  Troy  one  day,  a  railroad  accident  suggested  to  him 
the  idea  that  a  brake  under  the  control  of  the  engineer  might 
have  prevented  the  accident.  After  several  trials  his  first 
patent  was  issued  April  13,  1869,  and  the  Westinghouse  Air- 
Brake  Company  was  formed  on  the  20th  of  July  following. 
In  1883  Westinghouse  became  interested  in  the  operation  of 
railway  signals  and  switches  by  compressed  air,  and  developed 
and  patented  the  system  now  manufactured  by  the  Union 
Switch  and   Signal  Company.      The   "Pneumatic   Interlocking 

147 


Switch  and  Signal  Apparatus,"  whereby  all  the  signals  and 
switches  are  operated  from  a  given  point,  using  compressed 
air  as  the  motive  power  and  electricity  to  bring  that  power 
into  operation,  has  been  successfully  introduced.  Among  the 
accomplishments  of  Westinghouse  in  the  electrical  field  may 
be  mentioned  the  unit  switch  system  of  multiple  control  for 
the  simultaneous  operation  and  control  from  one  common 
point  of  all  the  motors  in  a  train;  and  the  single-phase  motor 
for  street  railway  service. 

Wilhelm  Eppeisheimer,  a  native  of  Frankfort-on-the-Main, 
was  the  inventor  of  the  cable  street  cars,  first  used  to  a  great 
extent  in  San  Francisco  and  other  cities  of  California. 

Most  remarkable  was  also  the  German  influence  on  the 
inner  organization  of  the  railway  traffic  in  America.  Both  as 
civil  engineer  and  organizer  no  man  has  rendered  more  con- 
spicuous service  than  Albert  Fink,  widely  known  as  one  of  the 
pioneers  in  the  construction  of  iron  bridges.  Seeing  the  many 
evils  resulting  from  the  unrestrained  and  ruinous  competition 
among  railroad  companies  and  steamboat  lines,  Fink  rec- 
ommended that  all  competing  corporations  should  elect  a 
common  board  of  directors  with  authority  to  settle  all  tariff 
questions  in  regard  to  the  transportation  of  persons  as  well 
as  of  freight. 

Fink,  not  believing  in  railroad  wrecking,  but  in  co-operation, 
explained  that  the  interests  of  the  transportation  companies 
and  the  public  are  not  hostile  to  one  another  but  mutual,  and 
that  a  regulated  tariff  with  fixed  prices,  leaving  a  reasonable 
profit  to  the  companies,  would  be  much  more  advantageous 
to  all  than  a  constantly  changing  one,  resulting  in  disorder 
and  bankruptcy.  In  consequence  of  this  recommendation  the 
Southern  Railway  and  Steamboat  Association  was  formed, 
of  which  almost  all  railroad-  and  steamboat  companies  of  the 
South  became  members.  In  1877  Fink,  on  invitation  of  the 
presidents  of  the  great  railroad  companies  of  the  East  and 
North,  made  similar  arrangements  for  a  still  greater  combina- 
tion. Accordingly  he  organized  the  Trunk-Line  Commission, 
which  soon  embraced  nearly  all  the  railroads  East  of  the 
Mississippi  and  North  of  the  Ohio,  including  the  railways  of 
Canada.  The  object  of  this  association  was  to  prevent  destruc- 
tive rate-wars.  As  chairman  of  this  commission  Fink  became 
the  most  influential  factor  in  all  tariff  questions  of  the  largest 
railroad  companies  of  the  United  States.  Fink  also  initiated 
the  system  of  through  freight  and  through  passenger  service 
now  in  general  use. 

Very  numerous  are  the  men  of  German  descent  who,  by 
keen  foresight  and  by  technical  knowledge  and  experiences, 
have  made  names  for  themselves  and  became  presidents  and 
managers  of  American  railroad  companies  and  steamboat  lines. 

Among  them  have  been  Henry  Fink,  president  of  the  Nor- 

148 


folk  &  Western  Railway;  J.  Kruttschnitt,  general  manager  of 
the  Southern  Pacific  Railroad ;  R.  Blickensderf er,  general  man- 
ager of  the  Wheeling  &  Lake  Erie  Railroad;  Karl  Gustav 
Memminger,  president  of  the  Charleston  &  Cincinnati  Rail- 
road; Heinrich  Hilgard  or  Henry  Villard,  president  of  the 
Oregon  &  California  Railroad,  of  the  Oregon  Steamship  Com- 
pany and  of  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad,  which  was  com- 
pleted in    1883  under  his  direction. 

In  the  field  of  navigation  we  find  a  similar  array  of  prom- 
inent men  as  presidents  and  managers.  Friedrich  Kiihne 
established  in  1  872  the  Adler  Line,  which  maintained  a  regular 
service  between  New  York  and  Hamburg.  Klaus  Spreckels, 
the  sugar  king  of  California,  organized  in  conjunction  with  his 
sons  Johann  Dietrich  and  Adolf  Bernhard  Spreckels  the 
Oceanic  Steamship  Company,  which  made  regular  trips  to 
Hawaii,  Tahiti  and  ports  of  Australia.  John  H.  Gans  has  been 
founder  and  president  of  the  Gans  Steamship  Line  in  New 
York,  which  sends  vessels  to  all  parts  of  the  globe. 

As  American  director  and  general  manager  of  the  famous 
Hamburg  American  Line  the  late  Emil  Boas  was  very  success- 
ful. Till  1892  the  line  had  been  represented  in  New  York 
by  the  firm  C.  B.  Richard  &  Boas.  When  the  line  opened  her 
own  bureau  at  Broadway,  Carl  Schurz  became  her  first  Amer- 
ican director.  After  his  retirement  Emil  Boas  was  appointed 
his  successor.  He  filled  this  responsible  position  up  to  his 
death,  which  happened  on  May  3,  1912.  Since  then  the  Ham- 
burg American  Line  has  been  represented  in  New  York  by 
Karl  Biinz,  the  former  German  Consul  General  in  New  York 
and  later  German  Ambassador  in  Mexico. 

The  American  affairs  of  the  North  German  Lloyd  have 
been  successfully  managed  for  many  years  by  the  firm  of 
Oelrichs  &  Co.,  of  which  Gustav  H.  Schwab,  born  in  May, 
1  85  7,  was  the  senior-chef.  What  an  enormous  amount  of  busi- 
ness is  carried  on  by  the  New  York  Agency  of  the  North 
German  Lloyd  may  be  seen  by  the  fact  that  it  handled  during 
the  period  from  January  1,  1873,  to  December  31,  1913, 
5,588,598  passengers.  Since  the  death  of  Gustav  H.  Schwab 
in  November,  1912,  Karl  von  Helmolt  has  been  the  director 
of  the  New  York   Bureau   of   the  North   German   Lloyd. 

In  the  interest  of  navigation  also  the  services  of  Ferdinand 
Rudolf  Hassler  and  of  Julius  Erasmus  Hilgard  have  proven 
of  the  greatest  value.  While  the  former  was  professor  of 
mathematics  at  the  U.  S.  Military  Academy  at  West  Point, 
he  directed  the  attention  of  the  Government  to  the  necessity 
of  a  correct  survey  of  the  coasts  of  the  United  States  as 
essential  for  the  safety  of  commerce  and  navigation.  In  com- 
pliance with  this  recommendation  a  special  office,  the  Coast 
Survey,  was  established,  with  Professor  Hassler  as  the  head. 
He  remained  in  office  from    1807  to    1843.      Hilgard  was  one 

149 


of  his  successors,  resigning  in  1885.  To  the  Coast  Survey 
the  commercial  world  is  indebted  for  splendid  charts,  the 
value  of  which  to  navigation  can  not  be  over-estimated. 

A  fact  not  generally  known  is  that  the  two  families  of  naval 
architects,  the  Cramps  and  the  Herreshoffs,  are  of  German 
origin. 

The  ancestor  of  the  Cramp  family  was  Johann  Georg 
Krampf,  a  native  of  Baden,  who  arrived  in  America  at  the 
end  of  the  1  7th  century  and  made  his  home  on  the  banks  of 
the  Delaware  River.  Here  the  members  of  his  family,  the 
name  of  which  changed  to  Cramp,  took  to  shipbuilding,  which 
occupation  they  have  continued  for  several  generations.  Under 
the  management  of  William  Cramp  and  Charles  Henry  Cramp 
the  ship  and  engine-building  enterprise  has  grown  to  a  very 
extensive  organization. 

The  American  history  of  the  Herreshoffs  begins  with  Karl 
Friedrich  Herreshoff,  a  native  of  Minden,  an  accomplished 
engineer,  who  in  1 800  arrived  in  Providence,  Rhode  Island, 
where  he  married  the  daughter  of  the  shipbuilder  John  Brown. 
Their  son  as  well  as  their  grand-sons  devoted  themselves  to 
naval  architecture  and  made  a  specialty  of  fast  steam-  and 
sailing  yachts  and  of  torpedo  vessels  of  high  speed.  The  most 
interesting  figure  of  the  family  is  John  B.  Herreshoff,  who  in 
his  fifteenth  year  became  totally  blind.  In  spite  of  this  handi- 
cap he  brought  the  business  he  had  inherited  to  great  prosper- 
ity. He  also  made  the  models  for  several  of  those  fast  sailing 
yachts  which  defended  the  "America  Cup"  against  the  English. 
The  Herreshoff  Manufacturing  Company  has  its  seat  in 
Bristol,  R.  I. 

A  name  well  known  to  the  commercial  world  was  that  of 
Thomas  Eckert,  also  a  man  of  German  descent.  In  1852  he 
supervised  the  construction  of  a  telegraph  line  from  Pittsburgh 
to  Chicago,  and  was  superintendent  until  it  became  a  part  of 
the  Western  Union  Telegraph  Company.  During  the  Civil 
War  he  was  general  superintendent  of  military  telegraphy  and 
reached  the  rank  of  brigadier-general.  He  became  assistant 
secretary  of  war  in  1 864.  After  having  been  appointed 
in  1866  as  general  superintendent  of  the  Western  Union  Tele- 
graph Company,  he  became,  in  1881,  president  and  general 
manager  of  this  concern  and  also  director  of  the  American 
Telegraph  and  Cable  Company  and  several  railways,  among 
them  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad.  The  brilliant  record  of 
General  Eckert  assures  him  a  permanent  place  in  the  ranks 
of  those  who  faithfully  served  the  Union. 


The  German  American  Press 

The  history  of  the  German  Press  in  America  can  be  traced 
for  nearly  two  centuries.  When  we  ask  what  during  this  long 
time  has  been  its  essential  characteristic,  we  name  the  single 
word :   Truth ! 

Truth  was  the  object  Peter  Zenger,  the  first  German  journal- 
ist in  America,  fought  for  in  his  "Weekly  Journal."  Publishing 
nothing  but  the  truth,  he  won  honor  and  everlasting  fame  for 
himself  and  liberty  for  the  whole  American  people. 

Truth  was  also  the  aim  of  Christoph  Saur,  the  printer  of 
Germantown.  Nothing  grieved  him  more  than  to  have  some 
news  creep  into  his  paper  which  afterwards  proved  incorrect. 

The  example  set  by  these  founders  of  the  German  press 
in  America  has  been  followed  with  fidelity  by  all  their  suc- 
cessors. Truth  has  been  their  guiding  star,  and  by  pursuing 
it  the  German  press  of  the  United  States  has  won  for  itself 
among  its  readers  a  degree  of  confidence  not  enjoyed  to  like 
extent  by  our  English  press,  whose  editors  do  not  care  as 
much  for  the  truth  as  for  the  sensational  effect  of  their  pub- 
lications. 

This  contrast  between  the  German  and  the  English  press 
of  the  United  States  was  never  so  apparent  as  during  the  years 
1914  and  1915.  While  the  editors  of  the  German  papers 
endeavored  to  give  to  their  readers  such  news  only,  as  in 
their  best  judgment  seemed  reliable  and  trustworthy  —  a  most 
difficult  task  because  the  British  had  cut  all  means  of  communi- 
cation with  the  Central  Powers  —  many  editors  of  the  Anglo- 
American  press  assisted  without  restraint  and  discrimination 
in  the  world-wide  campaign  of  slander,  inaugurated  by  London 
with  the  deliberate  intent  to  destroy  the  good  reputation  of 
the  German  nation,  its  Emperor,  army  and  navy.  These 
editors,  ignoring  the  fact  that  the  people  of  the  United  States 
are  drawn  from  many  nations  and  that,  therefore,  impartiality 
and  fairness  to  all  concerned  should  be  strictly  observed,  com- 
mitted, by  participating  in  a  systematic  poisoning  of  public 
opinion,  nothing  less  than  hostile  act  against  the  vital  interests 
of  the  United  States.  For  only  so  long  as  the  various  elements 
of  the  nation  respect  each  other  and  work  together  in  harmony, 
according  to  the  motto  "E  pluribus  Unum,"  can  this  country 
prosper. 

No  similar  act  of  disloyalty  to  the  interests  of  the  United 
States  can  be  charged  against  the  German  American  press. 
On  the  contrary,  their  course  has  been  at  all  times  genuinely 
American.    Collectively  and  individually  its  editors  have  advo- 

151 


cated  whatever  is  good  in  the  institutions  of  our  political  system, 
while  sharply  and  relentlessly  criticizing  its  faults;  and  they 
have  been  ready  promoters  of  everything  tending  to  secure 
order,  personal  liberty  and  prosperity.  For  this  reason  they 
never  neglected  to  urge  their  readers  to  become  good  Amer- 
ican citizens  and  as  such  to  contribute  to  the  common  welfare. 

In  accord  with  many  thousands  of  intelligent  Americans, 
who  know  Germany  and  its  people  from  personal  observation, 
the  editors  of  the  German  American  press  have  always 
regarded  it  as  their  special  mission  to  foster  the  friendly  rela- 
tions uninterruptedly  maintained  between  Germany  and  the 
United  States  since  the  latter  came  into  existence.  They  have 
done  this  in  the  conviction,  that  these  two  countries  have  much 
in  common  and  that  it  is  to  the  interests  of  both  to  work  hand 
in  hand   for  progress  and  civilization. 

In  May  1914  the  citizens  of  St.  Louis  dedicated  a  monument 
to  the  memory  of  three  distinguished  German  journalists: 
Emil  Preetorius,  Carl  Schurz  and  Carl  Danzer,  who  for  many 
years  were  chief  editors  of  the  Westliche  Post,  the  leading 
German  paper  of  Missouri.  The  front  view  of  this  monument 
shows  a  naked  figure,  representing  Truth,  holding  in  each 
hand  a  torch,  the  symbol  of  enlightenment.  It  is  a  fit  monu- 
ment indeed,  not  only  for  the  three  journalists  named,  but 
for  the  whole  German  American  press,  which,  it  is  our  hope, 
will  never  forget  the  inspiring  motto  of  the  great  German 
American  publicist  Franz  Lieber:  "Dear  is  my  Country;  dearer 
still  is  liberty;  dearest  of  all  is  Truth!" 

*^  v         v  *£* 

It  may  be  added  here  that  the  printer's  art  in  America  is 
greatly  indebted  to  German  inventors.  As  printing  with 
movable  letters  was  devised  by  Johannes  Gutenberg  in  May- 
ence,  so  the  rapid  steam  press  was  the  invention  of  Friedrich 
Konig,  born  in  1774  at  Eisleben,  Thiiringia.  The  process  of 
making  paper  from  wood-pulp  was  discovered  by  Friedrich 
Gottlob  Keller,  born   1816  in  Saxony. 

It  is  due  to  the  enterprise  of  Albrecht  Pagenstecher,  a 
prominent  paper  merchant  of  New  York,  that  this  process  was 
transmitted  to  the  United  States.  He  brought  over  two  wood- 
grinding  machines  from  Germany  and  set  them  up  at  Curtis- 
ville,  near  Stockbridge,  Massachusetts,  in  1867.  Here  he 
successfully  produced  a  wood-pulp  which  was  immediately 
pronounced  by  neighboring  paper  mills  an  excellent  material 
for  employment  in  their  manufacture.  The  introduction  of 
this  new  method  of  producing  paper  was  without  question  of 
momentous  import.  By  providing  a  raw  material  offering  an 
enormous  saving  in  cost  as  compared  with  rags,  the  only 
material  theretofore  available,  the  price  of  newspapers  could 
be  reduced  to  such  extent,   that  a  fabulous  expansion  of  the 

152 


demand  resulted.     The  newspaper  of  to-day,  in  its  many-paged 
issues,  would  not  have  been  possible  without  it. 

Another  invention  of  like  importance  was  made  by  Ottomar 
Mergenthaler,  born  May  10,  1854,  at  Mergentheim,  Wiirtem- 
berg.  He  came  to  Baltimore  in  1872,  where  he  constructed 
a  type-setting  machine,  which  casts  and  sets  types,  while  the 
operator  touches  letter  after  letter  on  a  key  board. 


OTTOMAR    MERGENTHALER. 


The  first  "Linotype  Machine"  was  used  in  1886  in  the  com- 
posing rooms  of  the  New  York  Tribune.  It  proved  such  a 
great  success  as  a  time-  and  labor-saving  machine,  that  it  is 
now  used  in  many  countries  of  America  and  Europe  as  well 
as  of  Australia. 

Meisenbach  in  Munich  is  the  inventor  of  the  so-called  "Half- 

153 


tone  process,"  the  cheapest  way  to  reproduce  drawings  and 
photographs  for  newspapers  and  books.  The  "Rotogravure- 
process,"  used  by  many  American  papers  for  the  illustration 
sheets  of  their  Sunday  editions,  is  an  invention  of  Karl  Klic 
in  Freiburg,  Baden.  So  also  the  idea  of  news-collecting  and 
distributing  by  special  agencies  has  been  conceived  and  accom- 
plished first  by  a  German,  Paul  Julius  Reuter,  born  1  82  1  in 
Cassel,  from  which  the  well  known  Reuter  Bureau  in  London 
derives  its  name.  It  is  perhaps  not  out  of  order,  to  bring  these 
facts  to  the  notice  of  those  Anglo-American  editors  and  those 
professors,  who  are  assisting  in  the  defamation  of  the  German 
people  and  who  would  make  the  world  believe  that  the  Ger- 
mans are  barbarians  absolutely  devoid  of  any  culture. 


MERGENTHALER'S     FIRST    LINOTYPE     MACHINE. 


Noteworthy  Authors  and  Poets 

Reviewing  German  poetry  in  America  we  must  begin  with 
Pastorius,  the  noble  founder  of  Germantown.  Like  all  sec- 
tarians disinclined  to  partake  in  the  noisy  vanities  of  worldly 
life,  he  enjoyed  the  solitude  of  his  flower-garden  and  praised 
its  peaceful  charm  in  many  verses.  He  also  loved  to  garb 
his  philosophical  ideas,  his  conception  of  life  and  his  experi- 
ences in  short  rhymes  and  epigrams,  many  of  which  have  come 
down  to  our  days  and  make  interesting  reading. 

His  contemporaries  Johann  Kelpius,  Konrad  Beissel  and 
other  leaders  of  German  sects  were  prolific  in  mystic  love 
songs  to  the  Heavenly  Bride,  to  the  glorification  of  whom 
they  devoted   many  volumes. 

Much  freer  in  their  conception  of  life  than  these  visionaries 
were  the  non-sectarian  German  settlers  of  the  1  7th  and  1  8th 
centuries.  While  they,  too,  were  religious,  they  never  lost 
sight  of  the  charms  of  this  worldly  life,  which  they  held  them- 
selves fully  entitled  to  enjoy.  Their  ideas  found  a  most  beauti- 
ful expression  in  a  poem,  addressed  by  William  Henry  Timrod, 
a  German  of  Charleston,  S.  C.,  to  his  little  son.  These  lines, 
which  have  a  pathetic  interest,  read  as  follows: 

To  Harry. 

Harry,   my  little  blue-eyed  boy, 

I  love  to  have  thee  playing  near; 

There's  music  in  thy  shouts  of  joy 

To  a  fond  father's  ear. 

I  love  to  see  the  lines  of  mirth 

Mantle  thy  cheek  and   forehead   fair, 

As  if  all  pleasure  of  the  earth 

Had  met  to  revel  there; 

For  gazing  on  thee,  do  I  sigh 

That  those  most  happy  years  must  flee, 

And  thy  full  share  of  misery 

Must  fall  in  life  on  thee! 

There  is  no  lasting  grief  below 

My  Harry!  that  flows  not  from  guilt; 

Thou  canst  not  read  my  meaning  now  — 

In  after  times  thou  wilt. 

Thou'lt  read  it  when  the  churchyard  clay 

Shall  lie  upon  thy  father's  breast, 

And  he,  though  dead,  will  point  the  way 

Thou   shalt  be   always  blest. 

155 


They'll  tell  thee  this  terrestrial  ball 

To  man  for  his  enjoyment  given, 

Is  but  a  state  of  sinful  thrall 

To  keep  the  soul  from  heaven. 

My   boy!    the   verdure-crowned    hills, 

The  vales  where  flowers  innumerous  blow, 

The  music  of  ten  thousand  rills 

Will    tell    thee:    'tis   not   so! 

God  is  no  tyrant  who  would  spread 

Unnumbered  dainties  to  the  eyes, 

Yet  teach  the  hungering  child  to  dread 

That  touching  them  he  dies! 

No!  all  can  do  his  creatures  good, 

He  scatters  round  with  hand  profuse  — 

The  only  precept  understood, 

Enjoy,  but  not  abuse! 

The  boy  to  whom  these  words  were  addressed  inherited 
the  literary  gift  from  his  father  and  became  one  of  the  most 
cherished  poets  of  the  South.  That  he  inherited  also  a  pro- 
found enthusiasm  for  all  that  is  beautiful  as  well  as  the  sense 
for  the  high  office  of  the  poet,  appears  from  his  following 
verses: 

"All  lovely  things,  and  gentle  —  the  sweet  laugh 
Of  children,  Girlhood's  kiss,  and  Friendship's  clasp, 
The  boy  that  sporteth  with  the  old  man's  staff, 
The  baby,   and  the  breast  its  fingers  grasp  — 
All  that  exalts  the  grounds  of  happiness, 
All  griefs  that  hallow,   and  all  joys  that  bless, 
To  me  are  sacred ;  at  my  holy  shrine 
Love  breathes  its  latest  dreams,   its  earliest  hints; 
I  turn  life's  tasteless  waters  into  wine, 
And  flush  them  through  and  through  with  purple  tints. 
Wherever  Earth  is  fair,  and  Heaven  looks  down, 
I  rear  my  altars,  and  I  wear  my  crown." 

Enjoyment  of  life  is  breathed  also  by  the  many  poems 
written  by  the  political  refugees  who  came  to  America  during 
the  first  half  of  the  19th  century.  As  appears  from  the  fore- 
going chapters,  these  fugitives  were  men  of  vigour  and  bound- 
less enthusiasm,  with  open  hearts  for  all  the  sunshine  of  this 
world.  For  the  spirit  of  American  liberty,  for  the  splendor  and 
sublimity  of  nature,  for  women's  virtues  and  beauty,  they  had 
a  warm,  receptive  mind.  They  sang  of  spring,  love,  wine  and 
song,  praised  manliness  and  bravery,  oblivious  of  the  cares  and 
hardships  of  the  day,  and  oblivious  of  themselves  and  their 
surroundings. 

Countless  are  the  names  of  German  poets  of  these  and 
later  times,   who  amidst  the  restless  business  life  of  America 

156 


cherished  their  ideals  and  encouraged  others  to  adhere  to 
them.*)  Some  of  the  most  impressive  poems,  written  by  the 
"men  of  1848,"  are  devoted  to  the  Fatherland.  Could  it  be 
otherwise?  These  refugees  loved  the  land  of  their  birth  from 
the  bottom  of  their  hearts.  For  its  unity  and  greatness  they 
had  worked  many  years;  to  it  went  their  thoughts  in  time  of 
day  and  night;  to  its  valleys  they  hoped  to  return  some  future 
years,  and  in  its  sacred  soil  they  wished  to  be  laid  at  rest. 
They,  who  had  striven  for  nothing  else  but  Germany's  glory, 
were  banished  from  it.  This  caused  them  bitter  grief,  but  could 
not  change  their  love. 

A  deep  longing  finds  expression  in  the  poems  of  these 
exiles.  In  touching  tones  they  sing,  such  as  have  not  been 
heard  since  the  strains  that  floated  across  the  waters  at 
Babylon,  as  the  Jews  sang  of  far  away  Zion. 

Perhaps  the  most  impressive  and  best  known  of  these  poems 
has  been  written  by  Konrad  Krez,  a  Palatine,  who  on  account 
of  his  participation  in  the  revolution  of  1  848  had  been  con- 
demned to  death  "in  contumaciam."  Making  his  escape,  he 
arrived  in  1850  in  America,  practicing  law  in  Sheboygan,  Wis. 
During  the  Civil  War  he  participated  in  the  siege  of  Vicksburg 
and  the  campaigns  in  Arkansas  and  Alabama,  and  was 
appointed  brigadier-general.  His  poem  "An  mein  Vaterland," 
written  in  America  about  the  year  1860,  expressed  the  feelings 
of  hundreds  of  thousands  of  his  countrymen,  who,  like  him, 
were  compelled  to  leave  their  native  country. 

An   mein   Vaterland. 
Kein  Baum  gehorte  mir  von  deinen  Waldern, 
Mein  war  kein  Halm  auf  deinen  Roggenfeldern, 
Und  schutzlos  hast  du  mich  hinausgetrieben, 
Weil  ich  in  meiner  Jugend  nicht  verstand, 
Dich  weniger  und  mehr  mich  selbst  zu  lieben, 
Und  dennoch  lieb  ich  dich,  mein  Vaterland! 
Wo  ist  ein  Herz,  in  dem  nicht  dauernd  bliebe 
Der  siisse  Traum  der  ersten  Jugendliebe? 
Und  heiliger  als  Liebe  war  das  Feuer, 
Das  einst  fur  dich  in  meiner  Brust  entbrannt; 
Nie  war  die  Braut  dem  Brautigam  so  teuer, 
Wie  du  mir  warst,  geliebtes  Vaterland. 
Hat   es  auch  Manna  nicht  auf  dich  geregnet, 
Hat    doch    dein    Himmel    reichlich    dich    gesegnet. 
Ich  sah  die  Wunder  sudlicherer  Zonen, 
Seit  ich   zuletzt  auf   deinem  Boden   stand; 
Doch  schoner  ist  als   Palmen  und   Citronen 
Der   Apfelbaum   in   meinem   Vaterland. 

*)  For  these  names  the  reader  may  be  referred  to  the  Anthologies: 
"Deutsch  in  Amerika"  by  G.  A.  Zimmermann,  Chicago,  1894;  and 
"Vom  Lande  des  Sternenbanners"  by  G.  A.  Neeff.  Heidelberg,  1905. 

157 


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&&? 


fat  faj  Ki^i  4*M*t»*£-  tru**/^/  aSV  ***** 


life.  VW^/-^  A*^  ^*-^;  ^/*/*  ^e^^j-j 
<Mt*  h*^  ^ s<^ is^v^^-*^ 

'  WUtJ~  -*/  »*nt*-fl  JviyZ  *^*™~>  /M***;4*~  *7  **J»-***~ , 
4h*J  4^*+f?r>S  ifajsL*****  yirv-slfa^  ^j^J-  **^jf-*J*+J, 


THE  MOST  FAMOUS  GERMAN  POEM  WRITTEN  IN  AMERICA. 
(After  the  original  in  the  possession  of   Rudolf  Cronau.) 


Land  meiner  Vater!  langer  nicht  das  meine, 
So   heilig  ist  kein  Boden  wie  der  deine. 
Nie  wird  dein  Bild  aus  meiner  Seele  schwinden, 
Und  kniipfte  mich  an  dich  kein  lebend  Band, 
Es  wiirden   mich  die  Toten  an  dich  binden, 
Die  deine  Erde  deckt,   mein  Vaterland! 

Oh,   wiirden  jene,   die  zu  Hause  blieben, 

Wie  deine  Fortgewanderten  dich  lieben, 

Bald  wiirdest  du  zu  einem  Reiche  werden, 

Und  deine  Kinder  gingen  Hand  in  Hand, 

Und  machten  dich  zum  grossten  Land  auf  Erden, 

Wie  du  das  beste  bist,   o  Vaterland! 

Another  gem  has  been  written  by  Konrad  Nies  in  praise  of 
German  song,  that  most  beautiful  gift,  which  accompanies 
the  sons  and  maidens  of  the  "Fatherland,"  wherever  they  go. 

Das  Deutsche  Lied. 

Als  wir  entfloh'n  aus  Deutschlands  Gauen, 
Durchgluht   von   jungem   Wanderdrang, 
Um   fremder   Lander   Pracht   zu   schauen, 
Zu   lauschen    fremder   Sprache   Klang, 
Da   gab   zum   Segen   in   die   Feme 
Die   Heimat   uns   ihr   deutsches   Lied, 
Das   nun,    gleich   einem   guten   Sterne, 
Mit   uns   die   weite   Welt   durchzieht. 

Wohin   auch   unsere   Wege   fiihren, 
Zum   Steppensaum,    zum   Meeresport; 
Wo    immer   wir   ein   Heim   uns   kiiren, 
Im   tiefen   Siid,    im   hohen   Nord: 
Der   deutschen    Heimat   Segensgabe 
Von  unsrer  Schwelle  nimmer  flieht, 
Und  als  des  Herzens  schonste  Habe 
Bleibt  heilig  uns  das  deutsche  Lied. 

Es   klingt   um   hohe   Urwaldtannen, 

Am   blauen   Golf,    am   gelben   Strom, 

Fern  in  den  Hiitten  der  Savannen 

Und    ferner   unterm   Palmendom. 

Es   braust   aus   frohem   Zecherkreise, 

Es   jauchzt  und  schluchzt  mit  Mann  und  Maid 

Und   klagt   in   heimattrauter   Weise 

Von   alter   Lust   und    altem   Leid. 

Und   wo    es   klingt,    da   bricht   ein    Bliihen 
Und   Leuchten   auf   im   weiten    Rund ; 
Wie   Veilchenduft   und   Rosengliihen 
Geht's  durch  der  Herzen  tiefsten  Grund. 
Was   langst   zerronnen   und   zerstoben, 
Was   mit   der   Kindheit   von   uns   schied: 
Es   wird   in   Traumen   neu   gewoben. 
Wenn   uns   umrauscht   das   deutsche   Lied. 
159 


Wir   schau'n   der   Heimat   griine   Tale, 
Der   Schwalbe   Nest   am   Vaterhaus; 
Wir   zieh'n   im   Morgensonnenstrahle 
Durchs   alte   Tor   zur   Stadt   hinaus; 
Wir   horen    ferner   Glocken   Klingen 
Und    deutscher   Eichenwalder   Weh'n, 
Wir   fiihlen   junges   Friihlingsringen 
Und    erster    Liebe   Auferstehn! 

Und    ob    auch   Fruchte   viel   und    Bliiten 
Die    Hand    auf    fremder    Erde    zieht, 
Wir   wollen    hegen    doch    und    hiiten 
Den   Friihlingsspross,    das   deutsche   Lied, 
Das   uns   zum   Segen    in    die    Feme, 
Die   Muttererde   einst   beschied, 
Und    das,    gleich   einem    guten   Sterne, 
Mit   uns   die   weite   Welt   durchzieht. 


As  American  artists  of  German  descent  were  the  apostles 
of  the  grandeur  of  American  scenery,  so  we  owe  to  German 
poets  many  masterpieces  of  descriptive  poetry.  Rich  in  color, 
for  instance,   is  Udo  BrachvogePs 

Indianer-Sommer. 

Den  Hiigel  noch  empor,   mein  wackres  Tier, 
Dort   lichtet  sich   der   Wald,    dort    halten   wir  — 
Fiihlst  du  den  Sporn?   Hinan  mit  fliicht'gen  Satzen! 
Schon  schliesst  sich  hinter  uns  die  Tannennacht; 
Frei  schweift  der  Blick  —  ha,  welche  Farbenpracht! 
Erschloss  sich  Scheher'zadens  Marchenpracht, 
Rings  alles  zu  bestreu'n  mit  ihren  Schatzen? 

Der   Himmel   leuchtet,    ein   saphirner   Schild ; 

Es  strahlt  an  ihm  die  Sonne  hehr  und  mild, 

Nicht  todlich,   nein,  nur  schmeichelnd  allem  Leben. 

Am    fernen    Horizonte    rollt    der    Fluss; 

Jedwede  Wog'  umspielt  des  Mittags  Kuss, 

Sie  bebt   und   zittert  unter  ihm,  —  so   muss 

Die   Braut  am   Herzen  des   Ersehnten  beben. 

Und    schimmernd    liegt    das   Tal,    wie    Mosaik, 
Wie   reicher   es   und   blendender   dem    Blick 
Noch  niemals  unter  Kiinstlers  Hand  entglommen. 
Hin  stromt  es  zwischen  dunklem   Braun  und   Griin 
Gleich   Flammen,    die   aus   Goldtopasen   spriihn, 
Gleich    Purpurmanteln,    die   um    Schultern    gluhn 
Von    Konigen,    die   von    der    Kronung   kommen. 

160 


Der   Ahorn   lodert,    wie   im   Morgenhauch 

Einst  Moses  brennen  sah   den  Dornenstrauch, 

Gefacht   von   unsichtbarer   Engel   Chore. 

Dort  rankt  sich's  flimmernd  und  verzweigt  sich's  bunt, 

Wie   die   Koralle   auf   des   Meeres   Grund, 

Und  drangt  sich  urn  das  silberfarbne  Rund 

Des   Stamms   der   koniglichen   Sykamore. 

Und    einsam   ragt   und   priesterlich   zumal 

Die   Lorbeereiche   aus   dem   Bachanal 

Von  Licht  und  Glanz,  von  Farben  und  von  Gluten. 

Doch   auch   von   ihrer   dunklen   Aeste   Saum, 

Aus   ihrer   Krone   tropft   wie   Purpurflaum 

Die   wilde   Reb' ;    es   ist,    als   ob    der   Baum 

Sein   Herz   geoffnet   habe,    zu   verbluten. 

Das  Eichhorn  springt.      Es  lockt  mit  tiefem   Klang 

Der   Tauber   seine   Taube   nach   dem   Hang, 

Wo   iiberreich   sich   Beere   dringt   an    Beere. 

Die   Drossel   stimmt   ihr   schmelzend   Tongedicht, 

Der   Falter   badet   sich   im   Sonnenlicht, 

Und    aus   der   Sumachbusche    Scharlach   bricht 

Das   scheue   Reh,    des   Waldes   Bajadere. 

'Und   dies  ist   Herbst?    So  sterben  Wald  und   Flur? 

Wie  ist  dann  das  Erwachen  der  Natur, 

Wenn  noch  ihr  Tod  sich  hullt  in  solches  Leben?"  — 

So  ringt  sich's  von  des  Reiters  Lippe  los,  — 

Da  rauscht's  ihm  Antwort  aus  des  Waldes  Schoss  — 

Ein  Windstoss  braust  heran   und   noch   ein   Stoss, 

Und   lasst   ein    Meer   von    Blattern   niederbeben. 

Rings  quillt  es  plotzlich  auf,   wie  Schleierflug, 
Schneewolken   weh'n   daher   in   dichtem   Zug, 
Vom  Norden  pfeift's,  und  triibe  wird's  und  triiber. 
Der   Taube   Ruf   verstummt;    ein    Biichsenknall, 
Im    Blute    liegt    das    Reh,    und    in    dem    Fall 
Der   Blatter   rauscht's   wie   leiser   Seufzerhall: 
Noch   eine   Nacht,    und    alles   ist   voriiber! 

Der   Reiter   frostelt   in   des   Nordwind's   Hauch, 

Er  ruft:   "Und  dennoch  ist  dies  Tod,   ob  auch 

Gleich  Hochzeitskleidern  prangt  sein  Leichenlinnen. 

So   stirbt   ein   Tag   im   reichsten   Abendrot, 

So   kiisst   die   Lippen    einer   Braut   der   Tod, 

So    fiihlt   ein   Jiingling,    rings   vom   Feind   bedroht, 

Aus  Wunden  tausendfach  sein  Herzblut  rinnen!"  — 


61 


One  of  the  most  beautiful  poems,   composed  by  Germans 
in  praise  of  their  adopted  country,  is  Theodor  KirchhofFs  hymn 

An   California. 

Warum  du  mir  lieb  bist,  du  Land  meiner  Wahl?  — 

Dich  liebt  ja  der  warme  Sonnenstrahl, 

Der   aus   Aetherstiefe,    azurrein 

Deine   Fluren   kusst   mit   goldenem   Schein! 

Dich  liebt  ja  des  Siidens  balsamische  Luft, 

Die  im  Winter  dir  schenket  den  Bliitenduft, 

Deine  Felder  schmiickt  mit  smaragdenem  Kleid, 

Wenn's  friert  im  Osten  und  stiirmet  und  schneit! 

Dich  liebt  ja  das  Meer,  das  ,,Stille"  genannt, 

Das  mit  Silber  umsaumt  dein  griines  Gewand, 

Das  dich  schiitzend  umarmt,  mit  schwellender  Lust 

Dich  wonniglich  presst  an  die  wogende  Brust!  — 

Wie   dein   Meer,    wie   der   Liifte   Balsamhauch, 

Wie   die   Sonne   dich   liebt,    so   lieb'    ich   dich   auch. 

Seine   Sonne   zumal,  —  ihr   rasches   Blut, 

Pulsierend   in   frohem   Lebensmut, 

Deine   Tochter   mit   Wangen   frisch   und    gesund, 

Die  Seele  im  Auge,  zum  Kiissen  der  Mund. 

Warum  du  mir  lieb  bist?  —  Nicht  ist  es  dein  Gold, 

Du  Land,  wo  die  westliche  Woge  rollt. 

Ich   wahlte   zur   Heimat   diesen   Strand, 

Weil   ich   offne,    warme   Herzen   hier    fand, 

Weil    fremd   hier   der   niedrige,    kleinliche   Sinn, 

Der  nur  strebt  und  trachtet  nach  kargem  Gewinn, 

Weil    die   eigene   Kraft   hier   den   Mann   erprobt, 

Nicht   ererbtes   Gut   den   Besitzer   lobt. 

Eine   Welt   fur   sich,    voll   Schonheit,    trennt 

Dich   die   hohe   Sierra   vom   Kontinent; 

Doch  schlugst  du  mit  eiserner  Briicke  den  Pfad 

Ueber   wolkentragender   Berge   Grat, 

Und  taglich  vernimmst  du  am  goldenen  Port 

Von  den  fernsten  Gestaden  der  Volker  Wort. 

Du  bewahrtest   das   Feuer  der   Jugend    dir, 

Den  Geist,  dem  Arbeit  des  Lebens  Zier, 

Der  wagt  und  ringet  und  nie  verzagt, 

Und  wo  es  sich   zeiget,   das   Gliick   erjagt. 

Ja!  ich  liebe  dich,  bliihendes,  westliches  Land, 

Wo  die  neue,   die  schone  Heimat  ich  fand. 

Wer  friige  wohl  noch,  der  dich  Herrliche  sah, 

Warum   du   mir   lieb,    California! 


162 


/ 

/ 


George  Sylvester  Viereck  at  the  hundredth  anniversary  of 
Bismarck's  birth  penned  the  following  verses: 

The  Iron  Chancellor 
(1915) 

Above   the   grave  where  Bismarck  sleeps 
The  ravens  screeched  with  strange  alarms, 

The   Saxon    forest   in   its   deeps 

Shook   with   the   distant   clash    of   arms. 

The   Iron   Chancellor   stirred.    '"Tis   war! 

Give   me   my   sword    to   lay   them   low 
Who    touch   my   work.     Unbar   the   door 

I   passed    an   hundred    years   ago." 

The   angel   guardian    of   the   tomb 

Spake  of  the  law  that  binds  all  clay, 

That  neither  rose   nor   oak  may  bloom 
Betwixt   the   night   and   judgment   day. 

"For  no  man  twice  may  pass  this  gate." 
He   said.     But   Bismarck   flashed   his   eyes: 

"Nay,   at  the  trumpet  call   of  fate, 
Like   Barbarossa,    I    shall   rise. 

"In  sight  of  all  Gods  Seraphim 

I   place   this   helmet   on   my  brow. 
For   lo!     We   Germans   fear   but   Him, 

And   He,   I  know,   is  with  us  now." 

The   dead   man   stood  up   in  his   might, 

The   startled   angel  said   no   word, 
Through  endless  spheres   of  day  and   night 

God   in   His   Seventh   Heaven   heard, 

And    answered    thus:      "Shall    man    forget 
My  laws?     They  were   not  lightly  made, 

Nor   writ   for   thee   to   break.     And   yet 
I  love  thee.      Thou   art  not  afraid. 

"Bismarck,    from   now  till   morrow's  sun 

Walks  as  a  wraith   amid   the   strife, 
And   if  thou   find   thy  work  undone 

Come  back,   and   I  shall  give  thee  —  life." 

With   stern   salute   the  spectre  strode 

Out  of  the  dark  into  the  dawn. 
From   Hamburg   to    the   Caspian   road 

He  saw  a  wall  of  iron  drawn. 

163 


He  saw  young  men   go   forth   to   die 
Singing  the  martial  songs  of  yore. 

Boldly   athwart   the   Flemish   sky 

He  marked   the   German   airmen   soar. 

A  thousand  spears  in  battle  line 

Had  pierced  the  wayward  heart  of  France, 
But   still   above   the   German   Rhine 

The   Walkyrs   held   their   august   dance. 

He   saw   the   sliding   submarine 

Wrest   the    green    trident   from    the    hold 
Of   her  whose   craven   tradesmen   lean 

On   yellow  men   and   yellow  gold. 

In   labyrinths  of  blood   and  sand 

He  watched  ten  Russian  legions  drown. 

Unseen   he   shook   the   doughty   hand 
Of   Hindenburg   near   Warsaw   town. 

The  living  felt  his  presence  when, 
Paternal   blessing,    he   drew   nigh, 

And  all  the  dead  and  dying  men 
Saluted   him   as   he   passed   by. 

But  he  rode  back  in  silent  thought, 

And    from   his   great  heart  burst  a  sigh 

Of   thanks.     "The   Master  Craftsman  wrought 
This   mighty   edifice,    not   I. 

"No    hostile    hoof   shall    ever    fall 
Upon  my  country's  sacred   sod; 

Though   seven   whirlwinds   lash   its  wall, 
It  stands  erect,   a  rock  of  God. 

"I    shall    return   unto    my   bed, 

Nor   ask    of   life    a   second    lease. 

My   spirit   lives   though    I   be   dead, 

My   aching   bones   may   rest   in   peace." 

Up    to  his   chin   he   drew   the   shroud, 

To    wait    Gods   judgment    patiently, 
While   high    above   a   blood-red    cloud 
Two    eagles   screamed    of   victory. 


164 


Kuno  Francke,  who  worked  so  faithfully  for  friendly  rela- 
tions between  America  and  Germany,  is  the  author  of  the 
following  lines: 

Ich  weiss  von  einem  Lande,  dem  bietet  Jahr  fiir  Jahr 
Des  reichen  Glanzes  Fiille  die  Hand  des  Schicksals  dar. 
Auf   Flachen   unermessen,    aus   tiefem   Bergesschacht 
Reift  golden  ihm  die  Ernte,  quillt  ihm  der  Erze  Pracht. 
Gewaltige  Strome  rauschen,  rings  flutet  das  Weltenmeer, 
Aus  Urwald  und  Prairie  stiirmt  machtiges  Leben  her, 
Und    in    dem   Volke   brauset   titanenhafter   Sinn, 
Nach   allem   Hochsten   greifet  sein  kiihnes  Wagen   hin. 
Es  riittelt  an  den  Bergen,   es  taucht  in  Meeresschlund, 
Es  spannt  mit  Eisennetzen  den  Fels  und  Urwaldsgrund, 
Es  tiirmet  Quader  auf  Quader  bis  zu  den  Wolken  grau, 
So  werkelt  es  und  hammert  an  der  Freiheit  Riesenbau.  — 
Ein  ander  Land  auch  kenn'  ich,  ein  Land  gar  lieb  und  wert, 
Dort  wird  vergang'ner  Zeiten  Geheimnis  noch  geehrt, 
Dort  fliistern  noch  die  Walder  manch  altes  Sagenwort, 
Dort  rauscht  noch  in  den  Wogen  der  Nibelungenhort, 
Dort  ragen  noch  alte  Dome  dunkel  und  wundergleich, 
Dort  sehnen  noch  Kinderherzen  sich  nach  dem  Himmelreich. 
O  Deutschland,  von  all'  deinen  Kindern  liebt  keines  dich  so 

sehr, 
Als  wir,  die  fremdgeword'nen,  die  Deutschen  iiberm  Meer. 
Du  bist  uns  mehr  als  Mutter,  du  bist  unseres  Lebens  Ruh, 
Du  bist  unser  Weinen  und  Lachen,  unserer  Arbeit  Segen  bist 

du, 
Du  setzest  dem  rastlosen  Wagen  bedachtig  Mass  und  Zeit, 
Du  weisest  dem  hastigen  Blicke  den  Weg  zur  Ewigkeit. 


Loyalty  to  the  great  cause  of  liberty  can  not  find  a  more 
beautiful  expression  than  in  Friedrich  Albert  Schmitt's  spirited 
poem: 

Sterne  und   Streifen. 

Im  Morgenwind   in  der  Sonne  Gold 

Der  Freiheit  heiliges  Banner  rollt; 

Sein  Rauschen  tonet  wie  Adlerflug 

Um   Alpenhaupter   im   Siegeszug. 

Es  klingt  wie  das  Rauschen  im  Urwaldsdom, 

Es  klingt  wie  das  Brausen  im  Felsenstrom, 

Es  klingt  wie  die  Brandung  am  Klippenstrand ; 

Von   See  zu  See  und   von   Land   zu   Land: 

Freiheit!    Freiheit! 
165 


Wie  die   ewigen  Sterne  vom   Himmelszelt 
Herniedergrussen   zur   traumenden   Welt, 
Wie  im  blauen  Aether  ihr  Licht  ergluht, 
Erfreuend,    erhebend   das   Menschengemiit, 
So  griissen  die  Sterne  des  Banners,  wenn  hold 
Es  den  staunenden  Blicken  der  Volker  entrollt, 
So  kundet  ihr  Anblick  vom  heiligen  Hort 
Dem   Lande   der   Freien   das   herrliche  Wort: 
Freiheit!   Freiheit! 

So  zog  es  voran  einst  der  Vater  Heer, 

Als  die  Knechtschaft  draute  und  Fesseln  schwer; 

So   hat   es   ermutigt   die   Volker   im   Streit, 

So   hat   es   die   Waffen   der   Krieger   gefeit, 

So   hat   es   die   heilige   Liebe   geschiirt, 

So   hat   es   zum   herrlichen   Sieg   sie   gefiihrt, 

So   hat   es   gewahrt   ihnen   kostlichen   Lohn, 

So   hat   es   geheiliget   der   Union 

Freiheit!    Freiheit! 

Ihr  Sterne  so  hehr  und  ihr  Streifen  so  hold, 
Oh,  rauschet  zum  Feste,  oh  rauschet  und  rollt 
Und  kundet  den  Kindern  und   Enkeln   es  an, 
Was   einst   um    die   Freiheit   die  Vater   getan! 
Oh,    rollet  und   rauschet   ein   ewiges   Lied, 
Dass  tief  in  den  Herzen  es  woget  und  gliiht, 
Oh,   rollet  und   rauschet,   dem  Segen  geweiht, 
Ob   dem   Lande  der  Freien  in   Ewigkeit! 
Freiheit!    Freiheit! 


Among  the  numerous  works  of  German  prose  writers  in 
America  those  treating  historical  subjects  are  perhaps  of  great- 
est value.  During  the  years  1850  to  1860  Gustav  von  Struwe 
wrote  a  history  of  the  world  in  eight  volumes,  published  at 
New  York.  This  book  is  of  special  interest,  as  the  author 
reviews  events  and  personalities  from  a  strong  democratic 
standpoint. 

Robert  Clemens  published  a  "History  of  the  Inquisition" 
(Cincinnati  1849).  Philipp  Schaff  wrote  a  "History  of  the 
Christian  Church"  (Mercersburg  1851)  and  "America,  and 
Its  Political,  Social  and  Religious  Conditions"  (Berlin  1854). 
Gustav  Briihl,  a  physician  in  Cincinnati,  was  author  of  the 
valuable  volume    "Die   alten    Kulturvolker   Amerikas." 

Ernst  Richard  is  author  of  a  valuable  "History  of  German 
Civilization"    (New  York   1909). 

Historical  subjects  are  also  treated  in  several  works  of 
Rudolf  Cronau.     During  the  years  1890  to   1892  he  wrote  his 

166 


book  "America,"  which  was  published  simultaneously  in  Ger- 
man (Leipzig,  1892)  and  in  Spanish  (Barcelona,  1892).  It 
gives  a  review  of  the  discovery  and  exploitation  of  the  New 
World  from  the  earliest  to  the  present  times.  Purposing  to 
acquire  authoritative  information  from  original  sources  and  to 
make  himself  acquainted  with  the  countries  discovered  by 
Columbus,  Cortes,  Coronado,  Cartier,  La  Salle,  Champlain, 
Pike,  Lewis,  Clarke  and  others,  the  author  made  extensive 
journeys  through  the  West  Indies,  Central  America,  Mexico, 
the  United  States  and  Canada,  following  the  tracks  of  the 
great  explorers.  Two  questions  of  paramount  interest,  con- 
cerning which  wide  differences  of  opinion  existed,  were  the 
subject  of  exhaustive  investigations  by  him:  the  location  of  the 
first  landing  place  of  Columbus,  and  that  of  the  actual  place 
of  repose  of  the  great  discoverer's  remains.  Cronau's  con- 
clusions as  to  these  questions,  based  on  researches  made  on 
these  trips  and  included  in  the  above  named  work,  have  been 
accepted  as  decisive  by  the  most  critical  authorities. 

Another  historical  work  by  the  same  author  appeared  in 
1909  at  Berlin  under  the  title  "Drei  Jahrhunderte  deutschen 
Lebens  in  Amerika,"  giving  to  German  readers  a  comprehen- 
sive review  of  the  achievements  of  the  German  element  in  the 
United  States. 

A  number  of  able  writers  have  contributed  works  bearing 
on  this  same  subject,  from  various  points  of  view,  and  collec- 
tively presenting  an  array  of  facts,  which  will  prove  a  solid 
wall  against  present  day  efforts  to  minimize  the  German  as  a 
factor  in  America.      Among  these  writers  are 

Franz  Loher,  ("Geschichte  and  Zustande  der  Deutschen 
in  Amerika,"  Cincinnati,  1847);  Anton  Eickhoff  ("In  der 
neuen  Heimat,"  New  York,  1884);  Georg  von  Bosse  ("Das 
deutsche  Element  in  den  Vereinigten  Staaten,"  Stuttgart, 
1908)  ;  Albert  Bernhardt  Faust  ("The  German  Element  in  the 
United  States,"  Boston,  1909)  ;  Julius  Goebel  ("Das  Deutsch- 
tum  in  den  Vereinigten  Staaten,"  Miinchen,  1904)  ;  and  Max 
Heinrici  ("Das  Buch  der  Deutschen  in  Amerika,"  Philadel- 
phia,   1909). 

Friedrich  Kapp  wrote  a  valuable  "History  of  Slavery"  (New 
York,  I860):  furthermore  splendid  biographies  of  Friedrich 
Wilhelm  von  Steuben  and  von  Kalb;  and  "Geschichte  der 
deutschen  Einwanderung  in  den  Staat  New  York"  (New  York, 
1868). 

Oswald  Seidensticker  penned  "Bilder  aus  der  deutsch-penn- 
sylvanischen  Geschichte,"  a  magnetic  and  finely  written  work 
on  local  history.  Very  valuable  monographs  about  the  German 
immigrants  and  sectarians  of  Pennsylvania  have  been  published 
by  the  "German  Historical  Society  of  Pennsylvania."  Among 
the  contributors  are  Julius  Sachse,  Samuel  Pennypacker, 
Daniel  Rupp,  Daniel  Cassel,  Oskar  Kuhns,  Diffenderfer,  Hart- 

167 


ranft,  Schmauk  and  others.  Hermann  Schuricht  wrote  a  com- 
prehensive work  about  the  Germans  of  Virginia;  Emil  Klaup- 
recht  and  H.  A.  Rattermann  edited  similar  books  about  the 
Germans  of  Ohio;  Joseph  Eiboeck  about  the  Germans  of  Iowa; 
Wilhelm  Hensen  and  Ernst  Bruncken  about  the  Germans 
of  Wisconsin;  Hanno  Deiler  about  the  Germans  at  the  lower 
Mississippi.  Gert  Goebel  described  the  life  of  the  German 
backwoodsmen;  and  Friedrich  Riibesamen  supplied  vivid 
pictures  of  the  frontier  life  in  Texas,  New  Mexico  and  Arizona. 
Gustav  Koerner  compiled  valuable  historical  notes  in  his  book 
"Das  deutsche  Element  wahrend  der  Periode  1818  bis  1848" 
(Cincinnati,  1880).  Of  equal  value  are  the  many  historical 
essays  of  H.  A.   Rattermann. 

A  most  noteworthy  writer  during  the  last  century  was  Karl 
Heinzen,  a  refugee  of  1  848,  who  as  one  of  the  leaders  in  the 
United  States  of  the  radical  German  democrats  brilliantly 
advocated  their  principles.  As  editor  of  the  weekly  "Pioneer" 
as  well  as  author  of  the  works  "Deutscher  Radikalismus  in 
Amerika"  and  "Erlebtes"  (Boston,  1864  and  1874)  he 
exerted  a  remarkable  influence  on  his  countrymen  in  the 
United   States. 

Of  the  German  writers,  whose  mastership  of  the  English 
language  was  almost  equal  to  that  of  their  own,  Franz  Lieber 
and  Carl  Schurz  are  the  best  known. 

Of  Lieber's  eminent  works  on  international  law  and  social 
ethics  has  been  spoken  in  a  former  chapter.  The  literary 
works  of  Carl  Schurz  contain  magnificent  biographies  of  Henry 
Clay  (Boston,  1  887),  and  President  Lincoln  (London,  1892). 
Of  greatest  interest  are  also  Schurz's  "Reminiscences  of  a  Long 
Life"  (New  York,  1906),  wherein  the  author  reviews  the 
many  memorable  incidents  of  his  career,  so  exceedingly  rich 
in  struggles,  hopes,  disappointments  and  success.  For  the 
study  of  the  German  revolution  of  1  848  and  the  political  con- 
ditions of  the  United  States  during  the  period  from  1850  to 
1900  these  reminiscences  are  sources  of  first  order.  The  same 
must  be  said  of  the  collection  of  his  speeches,  correspondence 
and  political  papers,  which  in  1913  were  edited  by  the  "Schurz 
Memorial  Committee." 

A  prominent  writer  of  the  19th  century  was  Charles  Nord- 
hoff,  born  1830  in  Westphalia,  but  brought  to  this  country 
while  still  a  child.  In  1  844  he  entered  the  U.  S.  Navy,  serving 
three  years,  and  making  a  voyage  around  the  world.  He 
remained  at  sea  in  the  merchant,  whaling  and  mackerel  fishery 
service  until  1853,  when  he  entered  journalism  and  occupied 
editorial  positions  on  the  "New  York  Evening  Post,"  and  later 
on  the  "New  York  Herald."  Of  his  many  books  the  best 
remembered  are  "Communistic  Societies  in  the  United  States 
(1875)  and  "The  Cotton  States"  (1876).  The  latter  pro- 
voked a  heated  controversy,  because  NordhofF  placed  responsi- 

168 


bility  for  the  terrible  conditions,  prevailing  then,  on  the 
Republican  "carpetbaggers,"  who  invaded  the  South  after  the 
Civil  War. 

The  experiences  during  his  former  sea-life  were  described 
by  Nordhoff  in  the  works  "Whaling  and  Fishing;"  "Man-of- 
War  Life;"   "Stories  of  the  Island  World"  and  others. 

In  his  book  "Our  Wasteful  Nation.  The  Story  of  American 
Prodigality  and  the  Abuse  of  Our  National  Resources"  (New 
York,  1908)  Rudolf  Cronau  treated  the  weighty  problem  of 
conservation,  showing  conclusively  that  the  American  nation 
suffers  losses  amounting  to  many  hundred  millions  of  dollars 
annually  by  sheer  carelessness  and  wasteful  methods.  The 
twelve  chapters  of  the  book  bring  to  view  the  enormous  waste, 
committed  by  the  American  people  by  the  destruction  of  its 
forests,  the  waste  of  water,  soil,  mineral  resources,  the  exter- 
mination of  birds,  fishes,  game,  fur-  and  great  marine  animals, 
the  waste  of  public  lands,  privileges,  money,  property  and 
human  lives. 

To  the  Travel  Literature  Theodor  Kirchhoff,  the  "Poet  of 
the  Golden  Gate,"  contributed  highly  interesting  works  in  his 
"Calif ornische  Kulturbilder"  and  "Reisebilder  und  Skizzen" 
(Altona,    1875). 

Rudolf  Cronau  published  "Von  Wunderland  zu  Wunder- 
land,  Landschafts-  und  Lebensbilder  aus  den  Staaten  und 
Territorien  der  Union"  (Leipzig,  1885)  ;  "Im  fernen  Westen. 
Eine  Kiinstlerfahrt  durch  die  Prairien  und  Felsengebirge  der 
Union"  (Braunschweig,  1890),  and  "Fahrten  im  Lande  der 
Sioux"    (Leipzig,    1885). 

Robert  H.  Schauffler,  born  in  Briinn,  Austria,  became 
widely  known  by  his  attractive  books  "Romantic  Germany" 
(New  York,  1909)  and  "Romantic  America"  (New  York, 
1911),  "Through  Italy  with  the  Poets"  (New  York,  1908). 
Of  the  numerous  German  novelists  in  America  the  best 
known  during  the  midst  of  the  19th  century  was  Carl  Postel, 
who  wrote  under  the  pseudonym  Charles  Sealsfield.  Having 
travelled  for  several  years  in  the  Southern  States,  he  published 
in  Philadelphia  in  1828  his  first  great  novel  "Tokeah  or  the 
White  Rose,"  which  later  on  was  followed  by  "Nathan  the 
Squatter-Regulator;  "The  Legitimate  and  the  Republicans;" 
"Virey  and  the  Aristocrats"  and  many  others.  His  prolific 
pen  drew  fascinating  sketches  of  the  life  on  Southern  planta- 
tions, of  the  lower  Mississippi  River  and  the  plains  of  Texas. 
Endowed  with  a  rich  imagination,  he  unrolled  to  his  readers 
a  new  world  alive  with  people  never  before  described.  With 
characteristic  strokes  he  drew  the  smart  Yankee,  the  light- 
minded  Frenchman,  the  considerate  German,  the  sensuous 
Creole  and  Creoless,  the  daring  trapper  and  the  tough  back- 
woodsman. 

Related  to  the  works  of  this  novelist  are  those  of  Friedrich 

169 


Gerstacker,  Balduin  Mbllhausen,  Otto  Ruppius  and  other 
writers,  who  travelled  extensively  in  North  America  and 
enriched  the  German  American  literature  by  numerous  fascinat- 
ing works  of  fiction,  which  found  large  circulation  in  Germany 
as  well  as  in  the  United  States. 

Other  noted  fiction  writers  are  Friedrich  Hassaureck 
("Hierarchie  und  Aristokratie"  and  "Das  Geheimniss  der 
Anden") ;  Friedrich  Dresel  ("Oskar  Welden;"  "Doppelehe 
oder  keine  Doppelehe;"  "Bekenntnisse  eines  Advokaten"); 
Friedrich  Lexow  ("Auf  dem  Geierfels,"  "Imperia,"  "Vornehm 
und  gering")  ;  Rudolf  Lexow  ("Der  Rubin");  Karl  Dilthey 
("Die  schonsten  Tage  einer  Tanzerin,"  "Henriette  Sonntag")  ; 
Reinhold  Solger  ("Anton  in  Amerika")  ;  von  Jakob  ("The 
Exiles")  ;  Adolf  Douai  ("Fata  Morgana")  ;  Willibald  Winkler 
("Der  Sklavenjager"  )  ;  Udo  Brachvogel  ("King  Korn"); 
Adolf  Schaffmeyer  ("Ein  Phantom,"  "Auf  steiler  Hohe,"  "Die 
ewige  Jagd"  and  "Im  Wirbel  der  Grossstadt")  ;  Dorothea 
Bottcher  ("Der  Sohn  des  Bankiers"  and  "Der  Erbschleicher" )  ; 
Hugo  Bertsch  ("Bob  der  Sonderling"  and  "Die  Geschwister" )  ; 
Henry  Urban  ("Maus  Lula,"  "Lederstrumpf's  Erben,"  "Aus 
dem  Dollarlande,"  etc.);  Hugo  Moller  ("Aus  Deutsch 
Amerika"  and  "Grand  Prairie")  ;  George  Sylvester  Viereck 
("The  Vampire,"  "The  Candle  and  the  Flame"  and  "Game 
of  Love") . 

The  great  European  War  brought  forth  not  only  numerous 
pamphlets,  but  also  several  noteworthy  books,  written  by 
Germans  in  the  United  States.  Hugo  Munsterberg  discussed 
in  his  works  "The  War  and  America"  and  "The  Peace  and 
America"  the  essential  factors  and  issues  in  the  great  war  and 
their  meaning  and  importance  for  America.  Edmund  von 
Mach  in  his  book  "What  Germany  Wants"  gives  a  clear-cut 
statement  of  the  German  side.  Frank  Koster  tells  in  "Secrets 
of  German  Progress"  (New  York,  1915)  the  fascinating  story 
of  Germany's  efficiency  and  her  amazing  rise  to  that  industrial 
power,  which  aroused  England  to  such  jealousy,  that  it  made 
most  careful  preparations  to  isolate  and  crush  this  new  com- 
petitor on  the  world's  markets  in  the  same  manner  as  it  had 
done  with  all  former  rivals. 

The  story  of  these  destructive  British  wars  has  been  given 
by  Rudolf  Cronau  in  "The  British  Black  Book"  (New  York, 
1915).  Based  on  historical  facts,  it  shows  how  England  by 
her  machinations  has  kept  the  world  aflame  for  centuries,  first 
robbing  Ireland,  Wales  and  Scotland  of  their  independence; 
then  successively  destroying  the  power  of  Spain,  Holland, 
France,  Denmark  and  India;  how  she  poisoned  the  Chinese 
with  opium  and  suppressed  the  free  Boers  for  the  sake  of  their 
gold  and  diamond  mines;  how  she  conspired  with  France  and 
Russia  to  strangle  her  most  successful  rival  in  commerce, 
Germany,  and  how  in  the  midst  of  a  mercenary  war  she  seeks 
to  throttle  the  prosperity  of  the  United  States. 

170 


Alexander  Fuehr,  doctor  of  law,  in  his  book  "The  neutrality 
of  Belgium"  (New  York,  1915)  makes  three  claims:  first, 
that  Belgium  was  not  neutral  territory  when  the  German  army 
invaded  it;  second,  that,  according  to  the  Law  of  Nations, 
the  treaty  guaranteeing  Belgium's  neutrality  had  been  void  for 
many  years  and  was  considered  so  by  Great  Britain,  prior  to 
the  war;  third,  that,  even  if  the  guarantee  treaty  had  still  been 
in  force,  International  Law  fully  permitted  Germany  to  invade 
Belgium  under  the  particular  circumstances.  To  substantiate 
these  claims  the  author  presents  large  numbers  of  documents 
and  affidavits,  which  give  full  account  of  the  origin  and  the 
break-down  of  Belgium's  neutrality. 

Among  the  German  American  publicists,  who  came  to  the 
front  during  the  great  European  war,  the  most  notable  is 
George  Sylvester  Viereck,  who  in  the  weeklies  "The  Father- 
land" and  "The  International"  wrote  numerous  strong  articles, 
which  imparted  to  the  American  public  undistorted  views  of 
the  cause  of  the  great  conflict  and  unvarnished  truth  about 
the  many  serious  questions  connected  with  it. 

Undaunted  fighters  for  truth  have  been  also  Frederick 
Franklin  Schrader,  Francis  Dorl,  editor  of  "Issues  and  Events," 
Bernard  Ridder  of  the  "New  York  Staatszeitung,"  Marcus 
Braun  of  the  "Fair  Play,"  and  William  Ries  of  the  "People's 
Post." 


German  Music  and  Song  in  America 

If  for  no  other  contribution  to  its  culture  and  development, 
the  American  people  owe  a  debt  of  gratitude  to  the  Germans 
for  having  brought  into  its  social  life  some  brightening  rays 
of   sunshine. 

Whoever  studies  the  social  life  of  the  early  settlers,  in  par- 
ticular that  of  the  Puritans,  Quakers  and  other  sectarians,  will 
find  that  it  was  dominated  by  two  aims  strangely  opposed  to 
each  other,  the  one,  an  intensive  striving  for  material  gain, 
the  other,  laying  up  stores  for  the  life  hereafter. 

The  pursuit  of  these  objects  rendered  the  earthly  existence 
of  the  Anglo  Americans  so  grave  and  joyless  that  visitors 
to  this  country  were  repelled  by  its  melancholic  monotony. 
Such  was  the  experience  of  the  British  authoress  Mrs.  Frances 
Trollope  recorded  in  her  famous  book  "Domestic  Manners  of 
the  Americans."  Having  travelled  in  this  country  from  1827 
to  1831,  she  felt  herself  justified  in  saying:  "I  never  saw  a 
population  so  totally  divested  of  gayety;  there  is  no  trace  of 
this  feeling  from  one  end  of  the  Union  to  the  other.  They 
have  no  fetes,  no  fairs,  no  merry-makings,  no  music  in  the 
streets." 

In  confirmation  of  her  own  impressions  the  authoress 
quotes  also  the  following  remarks  of  another  woman:  "They 
do  not  love  music,  oh  no!  and  they  never  amuse  themselves  — 
no;  and  their  hearts  are  not  warm,  at  least  they  seem  not  so 
to  strangers;  and  they  have  no  ease,  no  forgetfulness  of  busi- 
ness and  care  —  no,  not  for  a  moment.  But  I  will  not  stay 
long,   I  think,   for  I  should  not  live." — 

To  have  brought  a  change  in  this  joyless  life,  is  the  great 
merit  of  the  Germans,  who  made  America  their  home.  When 
they  emigrated  from  the  beloved  fatherland,  their  cheerful- 
ness, good  humor  and  love  for  music  and  song  were  the  most 
valuable  treasures,  they  brought  with  them  to  our  shores. 
With  their  sunny  mind  they  enriched  our  nation,  while  she 
was  in  the  process  of  evolution,  to  such  degree,  that  the 
American  people  should  have  to  the  Germans  no  other  feeling 
but  deep  gratitude. 

There  was  a  great  difference  between  the  religious  services 
of  the  Puritans  and  Quakers  and  that  of  the  Germans.  While 
the  first  abhorred  music  and  singing  the  latter  enjoyed  the 
wonderful  impressive  hymns  and  the  great  symphonies  of 
Martin  Luther,  Bach,  Handel,  Haydn,  Mozart  and  other  com- 
posers of  the  1  7th  and  1 8th  centuries.  Visitors  who  heard 
these  songs  in  Bethlehem  and  in  the  Ephrata  cloister,  confessed 

172 


that  they  were  overwhelmed  by  the  impressive  cadence  of 
the  chorals  of  the  combined  choirs,  and  by  the  angelic  or 
celestial  quality  of  the  vocal  music. 

But  these  musical  exercises  were  not  confined  to  religious 
meetings  exclusively.  From  the  history  of  the  Moravians  we 
know,  that  they  had  songs  for  their  daily  work  as  well.  Bishop 
Spangenberg,  head  of  the  community  during  the  middle  of  the 
18th  century,  states:  "Never  since  the  creation  of  this  world 
have  been  invented  and  used  such  lovely  songs  for  shepherds, 
farmers,  reapers,  threshers,  spinners,  seamstresses  and  other 
working  people  than  here.  It  would  be  easy,  to  make  up  a 
whole  volume  with  these  beautiful  melodies." 

It  did  not  take  long  for  the  conquering  power  of  music  and 
song  to  make  itself  felt  even  in  New  England.  A  Handel  and 
Haydn  Society  was  started  in  1  786  in  Stoughton,  Mass.  In 
June  1815  it  was  followed  by  a  similar  one  in  Boston,  organ- 
ized by  Gottlieb  Graupner,  a  German  musician,  who  founded 
also  the  first  orchestra,   the  Philharmonic  Society. 

Societies  with  like  purposes  were  formed  in  New  York, 
Baltimore,  Cleveland,  Cincinnati  and  other  centres  of  German 
life.  New  York  had  the  Euterpean  Society,  founded  in  1  799 ; 
the  Sacred  Music  Society,  founded  in  1823;  the  Choral-  and 
the  Harmonic  Society.  To  these  early  clubs  came  in  1 842 
the  famous  Philharmonic  Society,  which  still  exists.  Her 
members,  mostly  Germans,  aimed  not  for  financial  gain,  but 
to  reach  in  their  art  perfection.  From  1842  to  1865  U.  C. 
Hill,  Georg  Loder,  H.  C.  Timm,  Theodor  Eisfeld  and  Karl 
Bergmann  alternated  as  conductors;  from  1865  to  1876 
Bergmann  conducted  exclusively  and  led  the  society  to  its 
triumphant   position. 

Bergmann  was  also  a  pioneer  in  another  direction.  He  had 
come  to  America  as  a  member  of  the  Germania  Orchestra, 
which  consisted  of  fifty  political  refugees  of  1 848.  Being 
elected  as  its  conductor,  Bergmann  boldly  began  to  make  con- 
cert tours  with  this  orchestra,  visiting  many  of  the  eastern  cities. 
After  his  resignation  Leopold  Damrosch  became  his  suc- 
cessor as  conductor  of  the  Philharmonic  Society.  At  the  same 
time  he  founded  the  Oratorio  Society  and  the  Symphony 
Society  of  New  York,  which  under  his  leadership  gave,  from 
May  3d  to  7th,  1881,  a  grand  festival  in  the  armory  of  the 
7th  New  York  Regiment.  It  was  a  musical  event  of  the  highest 
order.  The  chorus  consisted  of  1200  select  voices,  which 
were  supported  by  1  000  young  ladies  of  the  high  schools  of 
New  York  and  by  250  boys  of  the  choirs  of  several  churches. 
The  orchestra  numbered  250  instruments.  The  most  important 
works  of  the  program  were  Handel's  Messias  and  Te  Deum, 
Rubinstein's  Erection  of  the  Tower  at  Babel,  Berlioz's  Missa 
Solemnis  and  Beethoven's  Ninth  Symphony.     The  artistic  suc- 

173 


cess  as  well  as  the  financial  results  of  this  festival  surpassed 
all  expectation. 

Now  came  a  period  of  great  conductors,  among  them 
Theodore  Thomas,  Karl  Zerrahn,  George  Henschel,  Wilhelm 
Gericke,  Anton  Seidl,  Walter  and  Frank  H.  Damrosch,  Emil 
Paur,  Frank  van  der  Stucken,  Ernst  Kunwald,  Franz  H.  Arens, 
Fritz  Scheel,  Louis  Kommenich  and  others,  under  whose 
able  leadership  many  of  the  musical  societies  reached  highest 
perfection. 

Several  of  these  conductors  have  won,  by  their  genius,  an 
everlasting  place  in  the  history  of  music  in  America.  This  is 
especially  true  in  regard  to  the  Damroschs,  Theodor  Thomas, 
Karl  Zerrahn  and  Anton  Seidl,  all  of  whom  were  born  in 
Germany.  Thomas,  a  native  of  Northern  Germany,  was  per- 
haps the  greatest  of  these  leaders.  When  twenty  years  old, 
he  started  a  society  for  chamber  concerts.  Several  years  later 
he  organized  also  his  own  orchestra,  with  which  he,  from  1  864 
to  1 89 1 ,  made  tours  throughout  the  United  States.  While 
these  tours  were,  from  a  financial  standpoint,  not  a  success, 
their  educational  value  was  immense.  To  hundreds  of  thou- 
sands of  people  the  Thomas-Orchestra  was  the  first  wonderful 
revelation  of  the  power  of  instrumental  music.  John  C.  Griggs 
says  in  his  "Studies  about  Music  in  America":  "I  can  never 
forget  the  deep  impression  the  Thomas-Orchestra  made  upon 
my  mind.      It  was  like  a  glance  into  a  new  world." 

Thomas  conducted  five  music  festivals  in  Cincinnati  (1873, 
1875,  1878,  1880,  1882),  one  in  Chicago  (1882)  and  one 
in  New  York  (1882).  In  1891  he  was  called  to  Chicago, 
to  organize  a  symphonic  orchestra,  which  he  conducted  with 
great  success.  He  also  distinguished  himself  as  musical  director 
at  the  Columbian  Exposition  of  1893. 

Indeed,  there  could  be  no  adequate  sketch  of  the  grand 
orchestra  that  did  not  pay  a  tribute  to  Theodore  Thomas, 
practically  speaking  the  great  missionary  of  the  orchestra  in 
America.  He  did  not  create  it,  but  he  introduced  and  devel- 
oped and  extended  it,  and  above  all,  as  Charles  E.  Russell  has 
correctly  said,  "he  made  it  intelligible  to  the  public,  spreading 
abroad  the  understanding  of  and  the  taste  for  orchestral  art, 
patiently  teaching  its  rudiments  and  by  exposition  making  clear 
its  principles." 

A  position  similar  to  that  held  by  Thomas  in  the  middle 
States  was  held  by  Karl  Zerrahn  in  the  New  England  States. 
He  conducted  not  only  for  many  years  the  Philharmonic 
Orchestra  and  the  Handel  and  Haydn  Society  in  Boston,  but 
also  the  concerts  of  the  Oratorio  Society  in  Salem  and  the 
famous  Worcester  festivals  in  Worcester,  Mass.  Of  him  Elton 
in  his  work  "National  Music  of  America"  said:  "Zerrahn  was 
the  bridge,  by  which  New  England  travelled  to  its  modern 
goal  in  classical  music." 

174 


The  names  of  Leopold  and  Walter  Damrosch  are  connected 
with  the  brilliant  history  of  the  Oratorio-  and  Symphony 
Societies  of  New  York,  the  names  of  Karl  Bergmann,  Anton 
SeidI,  Gustav  Mahler  and  Joseph  Stransky  with  the  history  of 
the  unsurpassed  Philharmonic  Society  of  New  York. 

Georg  Henschel,  Wilhelm  Gericke,  Arthur  Nickisch,  Emil 
Paur  and  Karl  Muck  habe  been  the  leaders  of  the  Boston 
Symphony  Orchestra,  that  pride  of  the  Hub  and  America 
generally.  After  having  been  supported  by  Major  Henry 
L.  Higginson  for  thirty  years,  this  orchestra  now  plays  to 
paying  audiences,  and  its  concerts,  given  in  Boston,  New  York, 
Brooklyn,  Baltimore  and  Washington,  are  financially  success- 
ful, as  they  are  artistically  most  brilliant. 

No  higher  encomium  could  be  framed  for  these  orchestras 
than  that  the  greatest  leaders  and  virtuosos  of  Germany  were 
glad  to  come  here  and  as  guests  take  part  in  performances 
of  genuine  worth. 

Among  such  conductors  were  Max  Bruch,  Hans  von  Bulow, 
Felix  Weingartner,  Richard  Strauss,  and  others;  among  the 
virtuosos  men  like  August  Wilhelmj,  Rafael  Joseffy,  Anton 
Rubinstein,  Thalberg,  Scharwenka,  Louis  Maas,  Franz  Kneisel, 
Schultz,  and  many  more,  who  by  the  masterly  rendition  of 
the  works  of  great  composers  helped  in  paving  for  music,  the 
most  pleasing  and  elevating  of  the  muses,  the  way  to  victory. 

To-day  almost  every  considerable  city  has  its  symphony 
orchestra,  voluntarily  organized  and  maintained  not  for  profit 
but  voluntarily  supported  by  public  subscription  as  a  public 
educator.  So  rapidly  has  the  number  of  such  grand  orchestras 
grown,  that  only  the  specialists  maintain  any  knowledge  of 
this  most  significant  development  of  our  culture.  The  orchestra 
is  already  a  feature  of  American  city  life,  and  the  cities  that 
have  orchestras  feel  in  them  steadily  increasing  pride  and 
interest  and  give  to  them  steadily  increasing  support. 

Vocal  music,  introduced  so  effectually  by  the  German 
sectarians  of  the  1  8th  century,  found  great  stimulation  through 
the  efforts  of  the  political  refugees  of  the  period  1  820  to  1  848. 
Among  these  high-spirited  heroes  of  an  unsuccessful  revolution 
there  were  many  musicians,  enthusiastic  followers  of  their  art. 
Disappointed  by  the  monotony  of  American  life,  these  men 
banded  together  and  formed,  for  their  own  entertainment, 
singing  societies,  in  which  they  cultivated  the  inspiring  songs 
of  liberty,  written  by  Uhland,  Herwegh,  Freiligrath,  Hoff- 
mann von  Fallersleben,  Lenau  and  other  great  German  poets. 

The  first  of  such  singing  societies  was  the  Philadelphia 
Mannerchor,  founded  in  1835,  and  still  flourishing.  The  next 
was  the  Baltimore  Liederkranz  (1836),  followed  in  1838  by 
the  Deutsche  Gesangverein  von  Cincinnati;  in  1844  the  Phila- 
delphia Liedertafel  was  born,  and  in  1847  the  Deutsche  Lie- 
derkranz von  New  York. 

175 


Since  then  the  increase  of  such  societies  has  been  enormous. 
To-day  there  is  hardly  any  city  with  a  German  population, 
that  has  not  its  singing  societies. 

Occasional  visits  of  one  society  to  others  led  to  the  forma- 
tion of  unions  for  the  purpose  of  holding  regular  singing 
festivals  with  a  competition  for  prizes.  The  first  Sangerfest 
was  held  in  June  1  849  in  Cincinnati  and  resulted  in  the  found- 
ing of  the  Deutsche  Sangerbund  von  Nordamerika.  Two  days 
were  devoted  to  concerts;  on  the  third  day  all  members,  more 
than  one  thousand,  went  in  richly  decorated  steamers  up  the 
Ohio  River  to  the  romantic  Bald  Hill,  where  Sunday  was 
spent  with  singing  and  all  kinds  of  entertainments.  This 
festival  was  for  the  American  press  a  source  of  wonder.  "The 
music  on  the  high  hill,  in  the  midst  of  a  pleasant  grove,  by 
nearly  two  hundred  singers,  was  grand  beyond  our  power  of 
description."     So  wrote  the  Cincinnati  Gazette. 

Continuing,  it  said:  "Enjoyment  seemed  to  be  the  object 
of  all,  and  about  the  whole  assembly  there  was  an  air  which 
spoke  plainly  as  words: 

Let  us  be  young  again 
And  o'er  the  grassy  plain 
Gambol   like   children, 
And  give  care  the  slip. 

We  do  not  think  the  Sabbath  under  all  circumstances  a 
proper  day  for  festivals  of  this  character,  but  we  think  they 
should  at  proper  times  be  much  more  frequent  than  they  are 
now.  Americans  do  not  allow  themselves  enjoyment  enough 
of  this  kind. 

In  our  too  plodding  homes,  we  ponder  over  tomes, 

Ledger  and  day-book,   till  we  quite  forget 

That  there  are  fields  and  bowers  and  river-banks  and  flowers. 

And   that  we   owe   our  languid   limbs  a  debt: 

A  debt  most  sweet  to  pay  —  a  needful  holiday  — 

A  brain-refreshing  truce,   'mid  intellectual  strife, 

That,  fought  too  keenly  out,  impairs  the  mortal  life." 

The  example,  set  by  the  singing  societies  of  the  Central 
States,  was  followed  by  the  societies  of  the  East  and  North- 
west, of  Texas  and  the  Pacific  States.  At  present  we  have 
the  Nordostliche  Sangerbund,  the  Deutsch  Texanische  Sanger- 
bund, the  Nordwestliche  Sangerbund,  the  Pacific  Sanger- 
bund and  the  Nord  Pacific  Sangerbund.  All  hold  at 
regular  intervals  great  Sanger-festivals,  combined  with  a 
competition  for  valuable  prizes.  Among  these  prizes  have 
been  some  donated  by  the  German  and  Austrian  Emperors, 
and  it  was  due  to  the  competition  for  these  trophies  of  high 

176 


artistic  value,  that  some  of  these  festivals  became  events  of 
extraordinary  magnitude.  There  have  been  such  festivals,  in 
which  several  thousand  active  singers  took  part,  as  for  instance 
in  July  1900  in  Brooklyn,  which  was  visited  by  1  74  societies 
with  more  than  6000  singers.  Many  of  these  festivals  gained 
a  special  splendor  by  the  active  participation  of  famous  soloists, 
as  Henrietta  Son  tag,  Amalie  Mater  na,  Etelka  Gerster,  Johanna 
Gadski,  Ernestine  Schumann-Heink  and  others,  who  made 
the  American  public  acquainted  with  the  most  beautiful  crea- 
tions of  German  song. 

Captivated  by  the  magic  spell  of  these  songs  the  Americans 
began  on  their  part  to  organize  singing  societies,  with  such 
eminent  success,  that  to-day  they  are  able  to  compete  with 
their  German  American  fellow-citizens  in  the  perfect  rendition 
of  the  most  difficult  compositions  of  the  German  masters. 

And  so  the  German  American  Sangerbiinde  can  point  with 
great  pride  to  the  work  of  culture  accomplished  by  them  and 
can  say  indeed  that  no  other  societies  have  in  like  manner 
contributed  to  the  elevation  and  advancement  of  the  popula- 
tion of  our  country. 


German  Drama  and  Opera  in  the 
United  States 

Together  with  the  oratorios  and  symphonies  of  great 
German  composers  the  dramas  of  German  poets  found  their 
way  to  the  United  States  at  an  early  day.  Schiller's  "Rauber," 
"Wilhelm  Tell,"  "Don  Carlos,'  "Cabale  und  Liebe"  were 
given  as  early  as  1  795  in  English  translations  on  the  stages 
of  New  York,  Philadelphia  and  Baltimore.  Several  dramas 
of  Kotzebue,  Zschokke  and  Halm  were  given  also  with  great 
success  and  brought  full  houses. 

Since  these  times  countless  other  works  of  German  play- 
writers  have  been  presented  in  English  to  the  American 
public,  among  them  the  best  pieces  of  Paul  Heyse,  Gustav 
von  Moser,  Roderick  Benedix,  Hermann  Sudermann,  Anzen- 
gruber  and  Gerhardt  Hauptmann.  That  all  these  great  works 
had  a  stimulating  influence  on  American  playwrights  as  well 
as  on  actors,   can   not  be  denied. 

This  influence  was  perhaps  strongest  during  the  last  half 
of  the  1  9th  century,  when  Adolf  Neuendorf,  Carl  Hermann, 
Gustav  Amberg,  Heinrich  Conried  and  others  founded  Ger- 
man theatres  in  New  York,  Philadelphia,  Baltimore,  Cincinnati, 
Chicago,  Milwaukee  and  St.  Louis,  and  brought  the  most 
famous  actors  of  Germany  into  this  country.  Among  them 
were  Friedrich  Haase,  Daniel  Bandmann,  Bogumil  Davison, 
Ernst  Possart,  Karl  Sontag,  Ludwig  Barnay,  Friedrich  Mitter- 
wurzer,  Joseph  Kainz,  Adalbert  Matkowsky,  August  Junker- 
mann,  Magda  Irschick,  Franziska  Ellmenreich,  Georgine  von 
Januschowsky,  Kathi  Schratt,  Josephine  Gallmeyer,  Marie 
Seebach,  Hedwig  Niemann-Raabe,  Marie  Geistinger  and 
others,  who,  by  their  excellent  play  aroused  not  only  the 
German  Americans  to  enthusiasm,  but  also  the  managers  and 
actors  of  the  Anglo-American  stage. 

"In  reviewing  these  times,"  so  a  noted  critic  said,  "it  is 
difficult,  to  refrain  from  such  language,  as  not  to  be  suspected 
of  exaggerating.  No  one  in  our  prosaic  days  can  realize  the 
ecstasy,  by  which  then  New  York  was  taken,  not  simply  the 
Germans,  but  all  New  York." 

The  managers  and  members  of  the  Anglo-American  theatres 
were  the  most  impressed,  because  almost  every  figure,  played 
by  these  great  German  actors,  was  a  study,  unsurpassable  in 
charm,  accomplishment  and  truthfulness.  How  deeply  inter- 
ested the  best  Anglo-American  actors  became  in  the  play  of 
their    German    colleagues,    can    be   judged   by    the    fact,    that 

178 


Edwin  Booth,  delighted  with  the  acting  of  Bogumil  Davison, 
invited  the  German  to  play  with  him  in  "Othello."  In  this 
performance,  which  took  place  in  January,  1867,  Davison  had 
the  role  of  Jago ;  Methua  Scheller,  a  German  actress,  gave  the 
Desdemona,  using  in  the  scenes  with  Booth-Othello  the  English 
language,  while  in  the  scenes  with  Davison  she  spoke  German. 
In  the  same  year  Booth  also  invited  Fanny  Janauscheck  to 
act  with  his  company  "Lady  Macbeth"  in  Boston.  Although 
she  spoke  in  German,  she  aroused  such  great  enthusiasm,  that 
the  houses  always  were  sold  out. 

Still  greater  triumphs  were  achieved  by  several  German 
companies  who  visited  the  United  States.  The  most  note- 
worthy were  the  "Munchener,"  the  "Schlierseer,"  and  a  part 
of  the  "Meininger  troups." 

The  Meininger,  organized  under  the  protection  of  the  Duke 
of  Saxe-Meiningen,  had  become  famous  in  Germany  for  their 
wonderful  ensemble  as  well  as  for  the  great  attention  they 
devoted  to  historic  truthfulness  in  costumes  and  scenery.  In 
contrast  to  the  American  "star-system,"  by  which  one  partic- 
ular actor  or  actress,  assisted  by  some  performers  of  minor 
grades,  glories  in  the  main  role,  the  Meininger  troupe  laid 
great  value  on  the  equality  of  all  actors,  in  order  to  accomplish 
the  most  harmonious  and  most  artistic  interpretation  of  a 
dramatic  masterpiece. 

This  idea  of  ensemble  effect  had  been  developed  by  Richard 
Wagner,  who  in  the  presentation  of  his  operas  in  Bayreuth 
secured  his  triumphs  to  a  great  extent  by  the  equality  of  the 
most  selected  singers  as  well  as  of  the  members  of  the 
orchestra.  As  the  "Meininger,"  the  "Munchener"  and  "Schlier- 
seer"  observed  in  their  dramatic  presentations  the  same  prin- 
ciples, their  visits  to  America  made  the  deepest  impression  on 
the  public  as  well  as  on  the  managers  and  members  of  the 
American  theatres. 

Imbued  with  the  same  ambitions,  which  inspired  the  man- 
agers of  the  above-named  troupes,  was  Heinrich  Conried,  who, 
having  been  an  actor  himself,  assumed  the  directorship  of 
the  Irving  Place  Theatre  of  New  York  City  in  1  892  and  held 
this  position  till  1907. 

Under  his  regime  numerous  other  celebrities  of  the  German 
stage  were  presented  to  the  American  public,  among  them 
Adolf  Sonnenthal,  Georg  Engels,  Felix  Schweighofer,  Rudolf 
Christians,  Ferdinand  Bonn,  Harry  Walden,  Agnes  Sorma, 
Helene  Odilon,  Anna  Dierkens,  Agathe  Barsescu  and  Mia 
Werber,  who  by  their  great  art  won  new  laurels  for  the  German 
theatre  in  the  United  States. 

To  interest  American  students  in  the  great  dramas  of 
German  literature,  Conried  also  gave  a  number  of  high-class 
performances  of  Goethe's  "Iphigenia,"  Lessing's  "Minna  von 
Barnhelm,"    Freitag's    "Journalisten"    and    other    dramas    at 

179 


several  Eastern  universities,  donating  the  entire  income  of  such 
entertainments  to  the  library  fund  of  the  respective  institutions. 

Emulating  this  munificence  Charles  Frohmann  arranged  on 
June  22,  1909,  for  the  benefit  of  the  Germanic  museum  of 
Harvard  University  a  similar  magnificent  performance  of 
Schiller's  "Jungfrau  von  Orleans,"  with  Maud  Adams  in  the 
title  role.  About  1500  people  took  part  in  the  pageantry 
and  battle  scenes,  while  the  audience,  numbering  more  than 
15,000  persons,  occupied  every  seat  of  the  huge  semicircle 
of  the  stadium,  which  served  as  a  stage.  The  great  success 
of  this  performance  on  so  large  a  scale  was  acknowledged 
by  the  audience  as  well  as  by  the  critics  of  the  many  papers, 
represented  at  this  occasion. 

Conried's  successors,  among  them  Maurice  Baumfeld  and 
Rudolf  Christians,  did  their  best,  not  only  to  keep  up  the  high 
standard  the  German  drama  had  reached  in  former  days,  but 
even  to  surpass  it.  In  similar  ways  strove  the  managers  of 
German  stages  in  Chicago,  Milwaukee,  St.  Louis  and  San 
Francisco,  with  the  history  of  which  the  names  of  Leon  Wachs- 
ner,  Alexander  Wurster,  Ferdinand  Welb  and  Ottilie  Genee 
are  insolubly  connected. 

So  the  German  theatres  in  the  United  States  have  fulfilled 

their  high  and  sacred  mission,   to  cultivate  German  dramatic 

art    and    to    transmit    its    rich    treasures    to    many   millions    of 

Americans  and  Americans  of  German  descent,   to  whom  the 

highest    performances    of    German    poetry    would    otherwise 

remain  an  unknown  realm. 

#      *      #      # 

Of  like  great  influence  as  the  German  Drama  has  been  the 
German  Opera.  Overtures  and  other  parts  of  the  "Frei- 
schiitz,"  "Martha,"  "Czar  und  Zimmermann"  had  been  played 
by  American  orchestras  as  early  as  1839.  But  the  first  per- 
formances were  not  given  before  1855,  when  twelve  evenings 
were  arranged  in  Niblo's  Garden  in  New  York  by  Julius  Unger. 
Four  years  later  Karl  Bergmann,  the  leader  of  the  Philharmonic 
Society,  introduced  Wagner's  "Tannhauser,"  which  was  fol- 
lowed in  September  1 862  by  a  season,  during  which  Karl 
Anschiitz  produced  the  "Zauberflote,"  "Don  Juan,"  "Stra- 
della,"  and  other  German  operas. 

Soon  afterwards  Adolf  Neuendorff  brought  for  the  first  time 
Wagner's  "Lohengrin,"  "Der  fliegende  Hollander"  and 
"Rienzi"  before  the  American  public.  Assisted  by  such 
eminent  singers  as  Theodor  Wachtel,  Theodor  Habelmann, 
Wilhelm  Formes,  Eugenie  Pappenheim,  Pauline  Lucca,  Ines 
Lichtmay  and  others  these  performances  were  such  brilliant 
artistic  and  financial  successes,  that  it  was  easy  for  Leopold 
Damrosch,  leader  of  the  Philharmonic  Society,  to  persuade 
the  directors  of  the  Metropolitan  Opera  House,  to  arrange  in 
1  884  a  series  of  German  operas  in  place  of  the  Italian  operas, 

180 


which  had  resulted  in  serious  financial  loss.  During  this  season, 
which  consisted  of  5  7  evenings,  the  American  public  became 
acquainted  with  the  operas  "Fidelio,"  "Die  Hugenotten,"  "Die 
Stumme  von  Portici,"  "Der  Prophet,"  and,  last  but  not  least, 
"Walkiire." 

In  selecting  his  artists  Damrosch,  breaking  with  the  Amer- 
ican star-system,  followed  the  example  set  by  Wagner  in 
Bayreuth.  Without  regard  to  cost,  he  brought  together  a 
magnificent  ensemble  of  first-class  singers,  of  whom  Amalie 
Materna,  Marianne  Brandt,  Marie  Schroeder  -  Hanf stangel, 
Auguste  Seidl-Kraus,  Joseph  Staudigl,  Adolf  Robinson  and 
Anton  Schott  were  the  most  notable.  While  the  artistic 
success  of  this  season  was  overwhelming,  the  financial  result 
was  also  such  as  to  induce  the  directors  of  the  Metropolitan 
Opera  House  to  make  plans  for  a  second,  still  greater  season. 
But  the  enormous  strain  of  the  work  had  proved  fatal  to  the 
inspirer  of  the  new  venture.  Leopold  Damrosch  suffered  a 
complete  break-down  and  died  on  February  10,  1885,  just 
when  his  triumphs  were  brightest.  The  season  was  brought 
to  a  successful  close  by  Walter  Damrosch,  the  son  of  the 
deceased  leader. 

In  the  next  season  he  was  followed  by  Anton  Seidl,  a 
member  of  Richard  Wagners  household,  who  had  also  con- 
ducted many  of  his  operas  in  Italy  and  at  the  theatre  in 
Bremen.  While  almost  all  of  the  great  singers  of  the  first 
season  were  re-engaged,  Seidl  brought  with  him  several  other 
accomplished  artists,  such  as  Lilli  Lehmann,  Albert  Stritt,  Emil 
Fischer,  Gudehus  and  others.  With  such  an  army  of  most 
accomplished  singers  victory  was  assured.  And  indeed,  the 
interpretation  given  by  Seidl  to  the  great  works  of  the  master, 
Richard  Wagner,  and  to  other  operas,  aroused  an  enthusiasm 
never  before  experienced.  And  when  during  the  seasons  of 
1885  to  1891  Seidl  presented  all  the  other  great  operas  of 
the  Nibelungen  Ring,  "Rheingold,"  "Siegfried,"  "Gotterdam- 
merung,"  and  when  he  brought  also  the  eminent  Fanny 
Moran-OIden,  the  matchless  Albert  Niemann,  the  brilliant 
Theodor  Reichmann,  and  the  ideal  Max  Alvary  (Achenbach) 
into  play,  the  unbelievable  became  a  fact,  that  all  the  dried-up 
business-men  of  New  York  became  "Wagner-fiends,"  and  that 
on  afternoons  they  deserted  their  offices,  hastening  to  the 
Opera  House,  to  delve  into  the  mystic  world  of  ancient  Ger- 
man gods  and  heroes.  No  wonder  that,  when  Seidl  suddenly 
died,  on  March  28,  1898,  every  lover  of  art  felt  this  as  a 
personal   loss. 

Several  seasons,  started  by  Walter  Damrosch  and  the  man- 
agers Abbey  and  Grau,  brought  other  numbers  of  eminent 
German  singers  to  America,  among  them  Rosa  Sucher, 
Johanna  Gadski,  Marie  Brema,  Ernestine  Schumann-Heinck, 
Ernest    van    Dyck,    Konrad    Behrens    and    Andreas    Dippel, 

181 


which  were  joined  by  Marie  Rappold,  Katharine  Fleischer- 
Edel,  Marie  Mattfeld,  Alois  Burgstaller,  Albert  Reiss,  van 
Roy,  Karl  Burrian,  Heinrich  Knote,  Otto  Goritz  and  others, 
when  in  1903  Heinrich  Conried  became  manager  of  the  Metro- 
politan Opera  House.  Assisted  by  these  brilliant  singers  and 
the  eminent  conductors  Felix  Mottl,  Gustav  Mahler  and  Alfred 
Hertz  Conried  presented  to  the  public  not  only  the  entire 
"Nibelungen  Ring"  several  times,  but  also  Wagner's  "Meister- 
singer,"  Strauss'  "Salome,"  Humperdinck's  "Hansel  und 
Gretel,"  Goldmark's  "Konigin  von  Saba,"  and  Wagner's  last 
great  work,  "Parcifal."  This  consecrational  festival  play  was 
enacted  for  the  first  time  in  America  on  Christmas  Eve  1903. 
Never  before  had  such  great  care  been  devoted  to  any  opera. 
While  the  corps  of  artists  was  the  most  select,  utmost  attention 
had  been  given  also  to  the  costumes  as  well  as  to  the  sceneries. 
The  result  was  a  performance  which,  as  was  stated  by  the 
most  able  critics,  even  surpassed  those  given  in  Bayreuth. 
Thousands  listened  to  the  last  message  of  the  great  German 
master  in  deep  devotion,  and  all  agreed  that  this  sublime  play 
left  with  them  a  most  ennobling  impression.  In  the  history 
of  music  the  event  was  epoch-making,  as  it  was  for  the  first 
time  that  "Parcifal"  was  given  anywhere  outside  the  sacred 
temple  of  Bayreuth,  and  for  this  reason  the  attention  of  all 
Europe  was  directed  on  New  York. 

Under  Conried's  regime  the  members  of  the  Metropolitan 
Opera  made  also  several  tours  through  the  western  parts  of 
the  United  States,  visiting  Pittsburgh,  Chicago,  St.  Louis, 
Kansas  City  and  San  Francisco. 

After  the  resignation  and  death  of  Conried  the  management 
of  the  Metropolitan  Opera  House  became  a  double  one.  While 
the  Italian  Gatti  Casazza  was  general  manager,  the  care  of 
the  German  opera  was  turned  over  to  Andreas  Dippel,  who 
deserves  great  credit  for  the  institution  of  a  German  chorus. 
After  two  successful  seasons  Dippel  resigned,  to  organize  the 
Philadelphia-Chicago  Opera  Company,  which  he  led  to  many 
triumphs. 

Under  the  regime  of  Gatti  Casazza  the  public  became 
acquainted  with  Richard  Strauss'  "Rosencavalier"  and  Hum- 
perdinck's "Konigskinder."  Also  a  number  of  new  brilliant 
German  singers  were  engaged,  among  them  Frieda  Hempel, 
Margarethe  Ober,  Margarethe  Matzenauer,  Karl  Jorn,  Herman 
Weil,  Johannes  Sembach,  Robert  Leonhardt  and  Karl  Braun, 
who,  with  Alfred  Hertz  and  Arthur  Bodansky  as  leaders, 
brought  the  performances  to  the  highest  degree  of  perfection. 
And  so  the  German  stage  in  America  has  never  failed  to  inspire 
the  love  for  works  of  standard  literary  merit  and  of  the  highest 
educational  value. 


Well  Known  Artists,  Sculptors  and 
Architects. 

A  history  of  American  Art  would  be  imperfect  without 
giving  credit  to  a  large  number  of  German  painters,  sculptors 
and  architects,  who  made  the  United  States  their  home  or 
were  born  here  from  German  parents. 

The  first  examples  of  German  art  in  America  date  back  as 
far  as  the  middle  of  the  1 8th  century.  There  lived  among 
the  Moravians  at  Bethlehem,  Pa.,  a  painter,  Johann  Valentin 
Haidt,  born  at  Danzig,  Eastern  Prussia,  in  1  700.  Attracted 
by  the  pious  life  of  the  Moravians,  he  joined  their  sect  and 
made  his  home  in  Bethlehem.  Here  he  painted  numerous 
Biblical  scenes,  some  of  which  may  still  be  seen  in  the  archives 
of  the  Moravians. 

At  the  end  of  the  18th  century  Jacob  Eichholz,  born  1  776 
in  Lancaster,  Pa.,  a  pupil  of  the  famous  Gilbert  Stuart,  ranked 
among  the  best  portrait  painters  of  Philadelphia.  Several  of 
his  works,  among  them  a  portrait  of  the  Moravian  Missionary 
Johann  Heckewelder,  are  in  the  collection  of  the  Pennsylvania 
Academy  of  Fine  Arts. 

Public  interest  in  arts  at  that  time  was  very  low.  Just  as 
Muther  stated  in  his  "History  of  Modern  Painting:  "people 
ate  and  drank,  and  built  and  reclaimed  the  land  and  multi- 
plied. A  large  bar  of  iron  was  of  more  value  than  the  finest 
statue,  and  an  ell  of  good  cloth  was  priced  more  highly  than 
the  "Transfiguration"   of  Raphael." 

J.  L.  Krimmel  and  Paul  Weber  are  the  names  of  two  artists 
who  lived  during  the  first  half  of  the  19th  century.  While  of 
their  work  but  little  is  known,  we  are  much  better  informed 
about  three  artists,  of  whom  each  one  became  a  pioneer  in 
some  distinct  line  of  painting  in  America.  These  men  were 
Emanuel  Leutze,  Karl  Friedrich  Weimar  and  Albert  Bierstadt. 
Born  in  Germany,  these  three  came  in  their  early  years  to 
America,  received  here  the  first  stimulus  for  art,  then  going 
abroad  to  complete  their  studies  at  Dlisseldorf,  the  famous 
art  center  situated  at  the  lower  Rhine.  Leutze  arrived  there 
in  1841  ;  Weimar  in  1852,  and  Bierstadt  in  1853.  It  cannot 
surprise  that  their  paintings  show  in  composition,  color  and 
technique  the  unmistakable  stamp  of  the  Diisseldorf  school 
at  that  time.  But  in  their  subjects  they  are  entirely  different. 
Instead  of  choosing  for  themes  the  scenes  of  happy  family 
life,  or  romantic  knights,  or  peaceful  landscapes  of  the  Rhine 
and  Switzerland,  they  present  men  and  sceneries  of  an  entirely 

183 


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o 

3  S3 
!| 
^  O 

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re  ;> 


different  world,  scenes  from  the  lives  of  great  discoverers,  of 
Indians  and  trappers,  and  of  the  battles,  in  which  the  Amer- 
icans fought  for  their  liberty.  Their  hearts  beat  with  enthusi- 
asm in  admiration  of  the  heroes  whose  bravery  and  patriotism 
had  won  the  war  for  independence.  Again,  their  skillful  brush 
portrayed  the  sublimity  of  nature  not  yet  touched  by  man. 
To  them  the  picturesque  aborigines  no  less  than  the  men  who 
formed  the  vanguard  of  the  white  races  were  neverfailing 
founts  of  inspiration.  It  is  a  peculiar  fact,  that  these  German 
American  artists  proved  in  spirit  as  well  as  in  their  choice  of 
subjects  far  better  Americans  than  any  of  their  colleagues 
born  on  American  soil. 

Leutze  was  greatly  interested  in  the  figure  of  Columbus. 
He  painted  the  great  discoverer  explaining  his  ideas  to  the 
High  Council  of  Salamanca;  in  audience  with  his  noble  patron- 
ess Queen  Isabel;  and  in  the  brilliant  entrance  at  Seville  after 
the  return  from  his  first  successful  voyage.  Again  he  portrayed 
him  loaded  down  with  chains  in  the  dungeon,  suffering  the 
abuses  heaped  upon  him  by  an  ingrate   government. 

The  last  painting,  which  won  him  a  gold  medal  at  Brussels, 
was  followed  by  another  historical  subject,  "The  Landing  of 
the  Norsemen  in  Vinland."  While  Leutze  established  his  fame 
with  these  paintings,  he  will,  no  doubt,  be  remembered  longest 
by  his  large  painting  "Washington  crossing  the  Delaware. 
Executed  185  1  in  Diisseldorf,  it  is  now  one  of  the  gems  of  the 
Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art  in  New  York. 

The  episode  is  depicted  in  the  early  hours  of  a  cold  winter 
morning.  The  last  star  still  is  gleaming  in  the  sky.  A  little 
flotilla  of  boats,  rowed  by  sturdy  men,  seeks  a  way  through 
the  heavy  packs  of  ice,  floating  on  the  river.  In  the  leading 
boat  the  hero  of  those  stirring  times  stands  erect,  his  clear 
eyes  seeking  to  pierce  the  distant  haze. 

When  exhibited  in  Germany  this  painting  made  such  deep 
impression,  that  the  Prussian  Government  honored  the  artist 
by  bestowing  on  him  the  great  medal  for  science  and  art. 
In  America  it  has  been  reproduced  more  often  than  any  other 
picture.  Making  its  way  into  hundreds  of  thousands  of  humble 
huts  as  well  as  into  rich  palaces  it  became  indeed  a  national 
possession  of  the  American  people. 

Among  the  numerous  paintings  following,  the  most  notable 
were  "Washington  at  Monmouth;'*  "The  Settlement  of  Mary- 
land by  Lord  Baltimore,"  and  "Westward  the  Course  of 
Empire  Takes  Its  Way."  The  last  one,  finished  in  1862,  is  a 
large  mural  painting  in  the  Capitol  at  Washington  and  shows 
a  caravan  of  those  emigrants  who,  enticed  by  the  discovery 
of  gold  in  California,  made  with  their  linen-covered  "prairie- 
schooners"  the  long  journey  from  the  Mississippi  to  the  Pacific, 
to  establish  there  new  homes.  The  picture  presents  the  weary 
travellers  as  having  crossed  a  pass  on  the  Sierra  Nevada.     In 

185 


the  far  distance  they  see  the  New  Canaan,  stretching  like  a 
mirage  of  hope  before  their  eyes  and  bathed  in  the  glorious 
lights  of  a  Western  sunset. 

Of  the  few  American  artists  of  the  19th  century  who 
created  historical  paintings,  Emanuel  Leutze  was  the  greatest. 
Imbued  with  a  patriotic  love  for  America,  its  history  and  the 
spirit  of  its  institutions,  he  was  at  the  same  time  a  man  of  large 
mould,  capable  of  grand  enthusiasm,  and  aspiring  to  grasp 
soaring  ideals.  Although  his  art  was  often  at  fault,  it  makes 
us  feel,  notwithstanding,  that  in  contemplating  his  works  we 
are  in  the  presence  of  a  gigantic  mind.  He  drew  from  wells 
of  seemingly  inexhaustible  inspiration.  He  was  Byronic  in  the 
impetus  of  his  genius,  the  rugged  incompleteness  of  his  style, 
the  magnificent  fervor  and  rush  of  his  fancy,  the  epic  grandeur 
and  energy,  dash  and  daring  of  his  creations.  To  him  is  well 
applied  the  German  motto: 

"Wer  den  Besten  seiner  Zeit  genug  gethan, 
Der   hat   gelebt   fur   alle   Zeiten."  — 

How  much  men  are  the  products  of  environment  and 
impressions,  is  shown  also  by  the  life  of  Karl  Ferdinand 
Weimar,  or,  as  his  name  is  Americanized,  Wimar.  Born  1828 
in  Siegburg  he  came  in  1  844  with  his  parents  to  St.  Louis,  then 
a  regular  frontier  town  and  a  station  of  the  American  Fur 
Company,  from  where  large  trading  expeditions  went  to  New 
Mexico,  California  and  Oregon.  To  this  place  the  Indians 
and  trappers  of  the  upper  Mississippi  and  Missouri  made 
annual  pilgrimages  for  the  purpose  of  exchanging  furs  for 
guns,  ammunition,  cloth  and  such  other  commodities  as  were 
needed  in  their  wild  life.  Greatly  attracted  by  these  pictur- 
esque figures,  Weimar  began  to  sketch  them,  but  feeling  his 
shortcomings  he  went  in  1852  to  Diisseldorf  to  study.  Here 
he  enjoyed  the  instruction  of  such  famous  artists  as  Oswald 
Achenbach  and  Emanuel  Leutze,  who  just  then  were  at  their 
height.  In  Diisseldorf  Weimar  finished  several  paintings,  of 
which  "The  captive  Charger"  was  the  most  impressive.  It 
shows  several  Indians  in  possession  of  the  beautiful  horse  of 
an  American  officer,  who  has  been  killed  in  battle. 

Having  acquired  the  technique  of  his  art,  Weimar  returned 
in  1856  to  St.  Louis.  Taking  part  in  several  expeditions  of 
the  Fur  Company  to  the  upper  Missouri,  he  made  studies  for 
several  paintings,  among  them  "Indians  hunting  buffaloes." 
He  had  just  begun  to  make  the  drawings  for  a  number  of 
mural  paintings  for  the  cupola  of  the  courthouse  in  St.  Louis, 
when  he  fell  a  victim  to  consumption. 

His  desire  to  portray  to  later  generations  faithful  scenes  of 
the  fast  vanishing  Indian  life  Weimar  could  fulfill  only  to  a 
small  degree.  But  he  is  entitled  to  recognition  for  having  been 
the  first  to  discover  and  utilize  in  worthy  manner  the  superb 

186 


PH.* 

KB 

§  to 
W.S 

o.S 
*§, 


picturesque  qualities  of  the  Indian,  while  this  theme  was  prac- 
tically ignored  by  contemporary  artists.  As  Wm.  R.  Hodges 
says  in  a  biography  of  Weimar:  "It  is  most  strange  that  none 
of  our  early  painters  seemed  conscious  of  the  existence  of  the 
Indian  save  as  the  blood-thirsty  and  implacable  enemy  of  the 
white  man.  It  is  possible  that  race  hatred  blinded  their  eyes 
to  his  pictorial  value,  and  that  it  was  reserved  to  one  foreign 
born,  with  a  mind  unclouded  by  the  recollection  of  centuries 
of  relentless  warfare  to  perceive  with  an  artist's  eye  a  virgin 
field  unequaled  in  dramatic  and  pictorial  interest." 

So  Weimar  was  the  forerunner  of  Remington,  Schreyvogel, 
Demming,  Leigh  and  other  artists,  who  in  our  times  by  repres- 
entations of  Western  life  have  recorded  such  great  success. 

While  thus  Leutze  was  a  pioneer  on  historical  and  Weimar 
on  ethnological  subjects,  so  Albert  Bierstadt  is  entitled  to  the 
honor  of  having  disclosed  first  to  the  Americans  the  grandeur 
of  Western  sceneries.  Born  1  830  at  Solingen,  Rhenish  Prussia, 
he  went  in  1853  to  Diisseldorf,  where  he  was  a  pupil  of 
Lessing  and  Andreas  Achenbach. 

On  his  return  to  America  he  accompanied  an  exploring 
expedition  under  command  of  General  Lander  to  the  Rocky 
Mountains.  The  results  of  this  venturesome  journey  consisted 
in  several  powerful  paintings,  which  were  revelations  throwing 
beholders  into  an  ecstacy  of  delight.  These  landscapes  were 
no  prosaic  copies  from  nature,  but  poems  in  color,  wherein 
the  author  expressed  with  great  effect  the  overwhelming 
grandeur  of  his  scenes. 

This  first  trip  into  the  sublime  wildernesses  of  the  Far  West 
was  later  on  repeated  many  times.  "Landers  Peak,"  "Mount 
Corcoran,"  "Mount  Hood,"  "The  Domes  of  Yosemite  Valley," 
"Evening  at  Mount  Tacoma"  are  the  titles  of  a  few  of  Bier- 
stadt's  canvasses,  which  may  be  justly  ranked  with  the  best 
examples  of  landscape  painting  of  the    19th  century. 

The  influence  of  Bierstadt  on  American  art  was  very  remark- 
able. Among  his  followers  were  Thomas  Hill,  Thomas  Moran, 
Julian  Rix,-  William  Riess,  and  others,  who  in  their  spirited 
works  glorified  the  wonders  of  our  Far  West.  — 

A  contemporary  of  Leutze  was  Christian  Schussele,  born 
1824  in  Gebweiler,  Elsass.  He  came  to  America  in  1848  and 
was  appointed  professor  of  drawing  and  painting  in  the  Penn- 
sylvania Academy  of  Fine  Arts  in  Philadelphia.  Attracted  like 
Leutze  by  the  great  figures  of  American  history,  he  painted 
among  other  scenes  "Franklin  before  the  Lords  in  Council;^ 
"Washington  at  Valley  Forge;"  "McClellan  at  Antietam;" 
"Men  of  Progress"  and  "The  Moravian  Missionary  Zeisberger 
preaching  to  Indians."  (See  page  24.)  All  were  reproduced 
by  eminent  engravers  and  widely  circulated. 

Theodor  Kaufmann,  a  Hanoverian,   selected  scenes  of  the 

188 


Civil  War  for  his  canvasses.  His  paintings  "General  Sherman 
at  the  Camp  fire,"  "Farragut"  and  "Lincoln's  Death"  have 
also  been  reproduced  in  engravings. 

The  Pennsylvania  German  Peter  Rothermel  is  represented 
in  the  collections  of  the  Pennsylvania  Art  Society  by  the  paint- 
ing "The  Statehouse  on  the  Day  of  the  Battle  at  Germantown." 
He  also  produced  a  gigantic  canvass  "The  Battle  of  Gettys- 
burg," which  was  one  of  the  attractions  of  the  Centennial  Fair 
at  Philadelphia  in   1876. 

Thomas  Nast,  born  1  840  at  Landau  in  the  Palatinate,  is  the 
author  of  two  well  known  paintings:  "Lincoln's  Entrance  Into 
Richmond,"  and  "The  Departure  of  the  7th  New  York  Regi- 
ment on  April  19th,  1861."  (See  page  100.)  This  brilliant 
canvass  adorns  the  armory   of   said   regiment. 

A  real  "Painter  of  the  Western  Frontier"  was  Charles 
Schreyvogel,  of  New  York.     Having  studied  under  Karl  Marr 


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r 

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A   SURE  SHOT. 


and  Kirschbach  in  Munich,  he  leaped  after  his  return  in  1  890 
into  fame  at  one  bound  with  his  spirited  picture  "My  Bunkie." 
It  shows  a  handful  of  U.  S.  cavalrymen  in  a  running  fight  with 
Indians.  One  of  the  troopers,  dismounted,  is  seen  by  his 
"bunkie"  and  drawn  up  on  the  latter's  mount.  Everything 
is  on  the  gallop.  The  free  action  of  the  horses  and  the 
strain  of  the  soldiers  are  superbly  reproduced.  But  the  great 
points  of  the  picture  are  its  immense  nerve  and  its  atmosphere. 
At  a  glance  it  is  seen  that  "My  Bunkie"  is  true  to  life. 

190 


In  rapid  succession  this  painting  was  followed  by  others, 
reflecting  with  admirable  fidelity  the  strenuousness  of  Western 
life.  "Defending  the  Stockade"  is  the  title  of  one  of  these  can- 
vasses. The  scene  is  the  interior  of  a  fort,  which  is  held  by 
hardly  a  score  of  men.  Everywhere  is  passionate  action  and 
hot  fight,  everywhere  curls  the  yellowish  smoke  of  powder. 
Already  the  redskins  are  mounting  the  palisades,  eager  to  drive 
the  soldiers  away  by  the  flames  of  burning  brushwood  thrown 
at  them.  In  desperate  desire  for  combat  the  gallant  soldiers 
hurry,  to  repel  once  more  the  bloodthirsty  enemy,  which  seems 
to  be  in  overwhelming  majority. 

"The  Fight  for  the  Waterhole"  is  a  similar  painting,  full  of 
action.  In  the  middle  of  a  desert,  overflowed  by  the  setting 
sun  with  magic  light,  stretches  a  little  pool  of  water.  Its  posses- 
sion means  life  or  death,  as  animals  and  men  have  suffered 
terribly  under  the  intense  heat  of  the  day.  But  a  band  of 
hostile  Indians  occupies  the  place,  determined  to  hold  it  to  the 
last  man.  Upon  them  breaks  a  troup  of  cavalry  with  irresistible 
vehemence.  The  horse  of  the  officer  rears  up  like  a  bolt,  as 
the  deperate  struggle  for  the  precious  liquid  grows  in  violence. 

Many  other  paintings  of  equal  value  followed  in  rapid  suc- 
cession, among  them  "How  Cola,"  "The  Despatch  Bearer," 
"A  Sure  Shot"  and  others,  reproductions  of  which  have  found 
wide  distribution.  Unfortunately  the  prolific  artist  met  a  pre- 
mature death  in   1911. 

Rudolf  Cronau,  born  in  Solingen,  Rhenish  Prussia,  in  1855, 
painted  "A  Rencountre  in  the  Far  West."  The  canvass  shows 
the  weird  scenery  of  a  valley  of  the  Green  River,  Utah. 
Gigantic  rocks  rise  to  towering  height,  like  sentinels  guarding 
the  entrance  of  the  valley  for  ages  past.  A  band  of  hostile 
Indians  has  surprised  a  group  of  prospectors,  encamped  in 
an  exposed  position,  and  it  is  left  to  the  beholder  to  picture 
to  himself  the  outcome  of  the  combat  about  to  develop. 

"Sunset  of  the  Red  Race"  is  the  title  of  another  work  of 
the  same  artist.  A  Sioux  Indian,  seated  at  the  foot  of  some 
burial  scaffolds  of  his  ancestors,  glances  over  a  wide  river- 
valley,  flooded  with  the  rays  of  the  setting  sun.  Once  this 
valley  belonged  to  the  hunting  grounds  of  his  tribe,  but  now  it 
is  traversed  by  the  locomotive,  the  yelling  whistle  of  which 
sounds  the  doom  of  the  red  race.  — 

Cronau  painted  also  numerous  sceneries  of  the  West  Indies, 
Southern  Spain  and  Morocco,  among  them  a  series  of  water 
colors  from  the  Alhambra. 

Albert  Groll  is  an  artist  whose  brush  conveys  glorious 
pictures  of  the  deserts  of  Arizona,  so  wonderful  in  color. 

Friedrich  Dielman,  born  1847  at  Hanover,  is  like  many 
American  artists  a  former  student  of  the  Royal  Academy  of 
Munich.  Living  since  1876  in  New  York,  he  devoted  himself 
to  historical  and  mural  painting.      Examples  of  his  work  are 

191 


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to  be  found  in  the  Congressional  Library,  in  the  building  of 
the  "Washington  Evening  Star"  and  in  the  building  of  the 
Savings  Bank  in  Albany,  N.  Y. 

The  same  specialty  has  been  selected  by  Arthur  Thomas  in 
New  York.  He  decorated  the  City  Hall  at  St.  Louis,  the 
Memorial  Hall  at  Columbus,  Ohio,  the  Court  House  at  South 
Bend,  Indiana,  and  other  public  buildings  with  historical  and 
allegorical  paintings,  distinguished  by  clear  conception,  excel- 
lent design  and  brilliant  color. 

Among  the  noted  painters,  who  in  their  subjects  confined 
themselves  to  sceneries  of  the  East  and  of  the  Middle  States, 
were  Wilhelm  Sonntag,  Hermann  Fiichsel,  Heinrich  Vianden 
and  Gottfried  Frankenstein.  The  latter' s  paintings  of  the 
Niagara  Falls  conveyed  to  Europe  an  estimate  of  this  marvel 
in  nature  with  compelling  force. 

A  highly  esteemed  landscape  painter  was  also  John  Henry 
Twachtman,  born  in  Cincinnati  in  1853.  He  studied  in  Munich, 
Venice  and  Paris.  In  his  contemplative  attitude  toward  nature, 
in  his  almost  ethereal  character  of  his  technic,  in  the  purity 
and  simplicity  of  his  emotion  he  reminded  much  of  Corot  and 
Whistler.  He  spiritualized  the  objects  he  painted  and  at  the 
same  time  he  has  spiritualized  his  paint.  It  has  been  said  of 
him,  that  "ethereal  color  and  form  seem  to  have  blown  into 
the  canvas,  and  that  his  art  was  a  victory  of  the  creator  over 
his  materials."     He  died  in  Gloucester,  Mass.,  in   1902. 

Another  splendid  artist,  carried  away  much  too  soon,  was 
Robert  F.  Blum,  born  1  867  in  Cincinnati.  His  excellent  scenes 
of  Venice  and  Japan  are  full  of  sunlight  and  lustrous  color. 
Also  they  are  distinguished  by  careful  drawing.  His  "Japanese 
Sugar-Huckster"  is  one  of  the  gems  of  the  Metropolitan 
Museum  of  Art  in  New  York.  At  the  same  museum  we  find 
two  remarkable  paintings  of  Charles  F.  Ulrich,  born  1858  in 
New  York:  "The  Glass-Blowers  in  Burano,"  and  "The 
Promised  Land."  The  Corcoran  Gallery  in  Washington  has  a 
painting  showing  the  arrival  of  immigrants  in  Castle  Garden, 
the  former  landing  place  in  New  York.  These  pictures  are 
distinguished  by  a  mild  lustre  of  color  and  sobriety  in  tone. 
A  very  productive  genre  painter  was  also  Henry  Mosler, 
born  in  1841  in  New  York.  One  of  his  best,  "A  Wedding 
in  the  Bretagne,"  is  in  the  Metropolitan  Art  Museum.  "The 
Dawn  of  Our  Flag,"  a  symbolic  glorification  of  the  Star- 
spangled  Banner,  is  owned  by  the  Corcoran  Gallery  in  Wash- 
ington. 

Several  of  the  most  noteworthy  of  American  artists  of 
German  descent  who  went  to  Germany  to  study,  have  made 
that  country  their  permanent  home,  feeling  that  they  would 
enjoy  there  a  much  richer  artistic  atmosphere  and  greater 
appreciation  than  in  their  native  country.  Among  these  artists 
were  Carl  Marr,  Toby  Rosenthal,  Gari  Melchers  and  Hermann 

194 


Hartwich.  Marr  was  born  at  Milwaukee,  in  1858.  Having 
studied  in  Munich  he  has  remained  there  ever  since,  honored 
by  being  appointed  as  a  professor  at  the  same  Royal  Academy 
where  he  had  pursued  his  studies.  One  of  his  first  paintings 
was  "The  Mystery  of  Life,"  showing  Ahasver,  the  wandering 
Jew.  Tired  of  life,  he  meditates,  his  gaze  fixed  on  the  lifeless 
body  of  a  beautiful  young  girl,  which  has  been  tossed  up  by 
the  sea  on  a  gloomy  shore.  This  painting  as  well  as  another, 
"Gossip,"  showing  two  girls  spinning,  are  owned  by  the  Metro- 
politan Museum  of  Art  in  New  York. 

Perhaps  the  most  powerful  painting  of  Marr,  the  "Procession 
of  Flagellants"  is  owned  by  his  native  town,  Milwaukee, 
to  which  it  was  donated  by  some  of  her  citizens.  When  this 
painting  was  first  shown  in  the  Munich  Exhibition  of  1889, 
it  was  placed  most  effectually.  Entering  the  exposition  build- 
ing from  the  street,  one  passed  through  a  vestibule  which  by 
the  aid  of  Oriental  rugs  had  been  converted  into  a  mass  of 
soft,  richly  subdued  harmonies.  From  this  vestibule  one 
entered  a  room,  where  a  screened  skylight  diffused  a  twilight 
effect  on  groups  of  palms.  From  this  dimly  lit  apartment  a 
door  ten  feet  wide  gave  entrance  to  the  picture  gallery,  and 
on  the  wall  opposite  was  the  painting,  the  only  one  that  could 
be  seen.  The  whole  arrangement  gave  the  effect  of  looking 
from  a  window  on  the  self-tortured,  fanatical  wretches,  who, 
scourge  in  hand,  led  by  the  hermit  Rainier,  overran  Italy  in 
the  1  3th  century.  So  strong  was  the  illusion,  so  intensified 
by  the  picture's  realism,  that  it  required  only  a  slight  exaltation 
of  the  senses  to  hear  the  hiss  of  the  scourge  as  it  fell  on  the 
lacerated  and  bleeding  back  of  the  devotee,  the  praying,  the 
groaning  and  the  weeping.  It  was  certainly  no  small  honor 
to  the  picture  to  place  it  thus  in  an  exhibition  which  repre- 
sented not  only  the  best  of  German,  but  also  much  of  the  best 
of  French  art.  But  it  was,  together  with  the  gold  medal 
awarded  the  painting,  an  honor  which  was  well  deserved.  An 
excellent  composition  containing  over  two  hundred  figures,  all 
well  drawn;  a  story  requiring  much  historical  research,  well 
told,  although  not  without  some  warrantable  artistic  license; 
stirring  and  dramatic  action  without  a  suggestion  of  the  stage; 
the  whole,  if  not  vigorously,  at  least  well  painted  —  the  artist 
had  produced  in  this  work  a  picture  which  in  its  technical 
qualities  easily  took  rank  with  the  average  in  the  exhibition, 
and  in  its  quality  of  invention  stood  almost  alone. 

The  "Flagellants"  have  been  followed  by  many  other 
paintings,  very  few  of  which,  however,  found  their  way  to 
America,  as  they  have  been  mostly  acquired  by  German 
galleries  and  connoisseurs. 

Munich  became  also  the  home  of  Toby  Rosenthal,  born  in 
1  848  at  New  Haven,  Conn.  He  created  numerous  paintings, 
showing  scenes  of  every-day  life,  many  of  which  breathe  a 
delicious  humor. 

195 


Gari  Melchers,  born  in  1  860  at  Detroit,  is  of  all  the  Amer- 
ican artists,  living  abroad,  the  best  known  in  this  country,  as 
many  works  of  his  virile  art  have  been  included  in  American 
galleries.  "Skaters"  is  in  the  possession  of  the  Pennsylvania 
Art  Academy  in  Philadelphia;  "Penelope"  belongs  to  the 
Corcoran  Gallery  in  Washington;  a  portrait  of  ex-President 
Roosevelt  is  in  the  National  Gallery,  Washington;  others  are 
to  be  found  in  the  Art  Museums  of  Detroit,  Chicago,  and  Pitts- 
burgh; one  of  the  very  best,  "Madonna,"  is  owned  by  the 
Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art  in  New  York. 

All  the  paintings  of  Melchers,  who  occupied  for  several 
years  a  professorship  at  the  Academy  of  Art  in  Weimar,  Ger- 


A  MONARCH  OF  THE  NORTHERN  FORESTS. 
(From  a  painting  by  Karl  Rungius.) 

many,  are  extremely  interesting  in  the  charming  play  of  light 
and  color,  and  no  one  can  imagine  a  more  wholesome  correc- 
tive against  the  excrescences  of  the  so-called  "modern  art,"  as 
futurism,  cubism  and  other  insane  "isms." 

Among  the  best  American  portrait  painters  we  find  Adolf 
Miiller-Ury,  Emil  Fuchs,  Paul  Selinger,  Karl  L.  Brandt,  W.  J. 
Baer,  Wilhelm  Funk,  and  Karl  Gutherz,  the  latter  also  the 
author  of  a  painting  in  the  Congressional  Library,  "The  Light 
of  Civilization." 

An  excellent  painter  of  animal  life  is  Karl  Rungius.  The 
majestic  Wapiti  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  the  graceful  antelope 

196 


of  the  plains,  the  shaggy  moose  of  the  Northern  forests  have 
been  presented  by  this  artist  in  unsurpassable  manner.  A 
specialty  of  Edmund  H.  Osthaus  in  Toledo  is  the  dog. 

The  number  of  first-class  illustrators  of  German  origin  is  very 
large.  Among  them  are  Max  F.  Klepper,  Joseph  Leyendecker, 
Charles  Reinhardt,  L.  W.  Zeigler,  Blumenschein,  Julius  Loeb, 
A.  B.  Wenzell,  Benjamin  W.  Clinedinst,  Erich  Pape  and  others, 
many  of  whom  are  former  pupils  of  the  Art  Academies  of 

Germany. 

#      *      *      * 

While  at  the  beginning  of  the  19th  century  the  interest  of 
the  young  American  nation  was  very  low  in  regard  to  paint- 
ings, it  was  entirely  absent  in  regard  to  sculpture.  The  Puritans 
and  Quakers  in  their  prudishness  abhorred  all  representations 
of  the  human  body,  with  exception  perhaps  of  some  sexless 
cherubs.  So  the  meagre  orders  given  to  the  masters  of  the 
chisel  were  confined  to  the  execution  of  tombstones,  and,  after 
the  Civil  War,  to  a  few  soldiers'  monuments. 

Such  unfavorable  conditions  embittered  the  life  of  several 
German  sculptors,  born  in  the  United  States  or  drifted  to  this 
country  by  some  caprice  of  fate.  There  was  for  instance  Ferdi- 
nand Pettrich,  a  former  pupil  of  the  famous  Thorwaldsen. 
Born  at  Dresden,  he  came  in  1835  to  Philadelphia,  hoping  to 
find  work.  But  the  only  commissions  he  succeeded  in  getting 
were  some  monuments  for  tombs.  The  figures  of  an  "Amor 
defeated"  and  of  "Mephistopheles,"  done  in  the  sculptor's  all 
too  many  leisure  hours,  induced  President  Tylor  to  commission 
Pettrich  with  the  execution  of  four  large  reliefs  for  the  base 
of  a  monument  to  Washington.  Congress,  however,  could 
not  be  induced  to  grant  the  money  for  the  work,  which  had 
already  been  finished  in  clay.  Disappointed  the  sculptor 
returned  in  1845  to  Germany. 

Francis  Dengler,  Franz  Meynen,  Christoph  Paulus,  Heinrich 
Baerer,  Georg  Hesse,  Ephraim  Kaiser  and  Caspar  Buberl 
suffered  greatly  under  similar  difficulties.  Few  and  far  between 
were  the  opportunities  for  them  to  exhibit  their  ability,  such  as 
was  shown  by  Buberl  in  five  great  reliefs  for  the  Garfield 
monument  in  Cleveland.  These  reliefs,  showing  the  martyr- 
President  in  different  phases  of  his  life,  contain  more  than  one 
hundred  figures  in  full  life  size.  The  Patent  Office  in  Washing- 
ton has,  by  the  same  artist,  several  allegorical  groups:  "Elec- 
tricity and  Magnetism;"  "Fire  and  Water;"  "Invention  and 
Industry;"  "Agriculture  and  Mining."  The  National  Museum 
is  in  possession  of  a  colossal  group  "Columbia  as  Protectoress 
of  Science,   Art  and   Industry." 

William  Rinehart,  the  son  of  a  German  farmer  in  Maryland, 
had  the  good  fortune,  to  be  sent  by  the  great  art  collector 
W.  S.  Walters  in  Baltimore  to  Italy,  where  he  studied  and 
made  two  bas-reliefs,  "Night"  and  "Day."    For  a  short  time  he 

197 


came  back  to  Baltimore,  but,  missing  here  the  atmosphere  so 
necessary  for  artists,  he  returned  to  Rome,  where  he  made 
many  beautiful  sculptures,  of  which  "Clytie,"  a  life-sized  nude 
marble,  is  in  the  Peabody  Museum,  while  "Latona  and  her 
Children"  is  in  the  Metropolitan  Museum. 

Joseph  Sibbel  and  Joseph  Lohmuller  in  New  York  were 
very  prolific  during  the  latter  part  of  the  19th  and  the  begin- 
ning of  the  present  century  in  beautifying  the  cathedrals  and 
churches  of  America  with  reliefs  of  Biblical  scenes  and  the 
statues  of   Madonnas,    Martyrs,   Saints  and  Apostles. 

More  favorable  times  for  the  masters  of  the  chisel  came 
with  the  great  expositions  in  Chicago,  Omaha,  Buffalo,  St. 
Louis,  Portland  and  San  Francisco.  To  break  the  tiresome 
monotony  of  the  enormous  palaces  and  temples,  of  the  wide 
courts  and  endless  colonnades  it  was  necessary  to  adorn  them 
with  allegorical  groups  and  statues,  such  as  had  been  seen  at 
the  exposition  grounds  of  Europe.  Here,  at  last,  came  for 
American  sculptors  welcome  opportunities  to  show  their  abili- 
ties. No  one  answered  the  call  with  greater  enthusiasm  than 
Karl  Bitter,  born  in  1867  at  Vienna,  and  a  former  student 
of  the  Academy  of  Fine  Arts  of  his  native  city.  He  arrived  in 
New  York  in  1  889,  at  a  time,  when  architects  prepared  plans 
for  the  great  Columbian  Exposition  in  Chicago.  To  Richard 
M.  Hunt,  one  of  the  foremost  architects  in  New  York,  had 
fallen  the  task  of  designing  the  stately  Administration  Building. 
On  his  invitation  Bitter  executed  the  elaborate  sculptural  dec- 
orations for  this  building  with  such  success,  that  he  was 
requested  to  furnish  also  the  sculpture  works  for  the  Liberal 
Arts  Building  and  other  palaces.  They  were  done  in  such 
masterly  way,  that  several  years  later,  when  Buffalo  prepared 
for  the  Pan-American  Exposition,  the  National  Sculpture 
Society  nominated  Bitter  as  the  director  of  sculpture.  In  this 
position  Bitter,  with  an  inspiration  that  captured  the  Board  of 
Architects,  conceived  a  scheme  of  sculpture,  which  illustrated 
the  purposes  and  objects  of  the  exposition  as  an  inherent  rev- 
elation of  the  delevopment  and  various  forms  of  energy  and 
activity  of  the  Western  Hemisphere.  That  it  should  be  merely 
ornamental  did  not  satisfy  him.  Hence  his  scheme  was  a 
progressive  composition:  first,  Nature;  then,  Man;  and  then 
the  Genius  of  Man.  Nature  was  expressed  by  fountains  and 
groups  entitled  Mineral  Wealth,  Animal  Wealth,  and  Floral 
Wealth.  The  Fountain  of  Nature  was  balanced  by  such  sub- 
jects as  the  Savage  Age,  the  Age  of  Despotism  and  the  Age 
of  Enlightenment.  In  the  division  showing  the  Genius  of  Man, 
there  were  groups  representing  the  human  emotions  and  the 
human  intellect;   the  birth   of  Athene   typifying  the  intellect. 

Science,  Agriculture  and  Manufacture  were  counterparts  on 
the  Fountain  in  the  center,  and  the  great  tower  was  surmounted 
by  the  Goddess  of  Light.     The  main  approach  to  the  exposi- 

198 


tion,  called  the  Triumphal  Causeway,  was  symbolical  of  the 
National  spirit.  The  groups  in  the  niches  represented  Courage, 
Patriotism,  Truth  and  Benevolence;  the  fountains  between 
which  one  paused  symbolized  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific;  and 
the  mounted  standard  bearers  crowning  the  four  pylons  of 
the  causeway  were,  with  their  accessories,  designed  to  express 
Power  and  Peace.  There  were  more  than  five  hundred  of  such 
groups  and  figures.  In  selecting  his  collaborators,  in  supervising 
the  tremendous  work  and  in  placing  the  finished  groups  in 
position,  Bitter  displayed  such  infinite  tact,  thorough  knowl- 
edge, and  extraordinary  executive  abilities,  that  this  part  of 
the  Pan-American  Exposition  was  its  greatest  success. 

So  it  was  only  natural,  that,  when  the  projects  for  the 
Louisiana  Purchase  Exposition  at  St.  Louis  and  for  the  Panama- 
Pacific  Exposition  at  San  Francisco  were  discussed,  Bitter's 
services  as  director  of  all  sculpture  work  were  regarded  as 
indispensable.  His  general  schemes  for  these  expositions 
manifested  again  the  boundlessness  of  his  inventive  spirit,  the 
breadth  of  his  mind  and  the  wide  range  of  his  powers.  They 
illustrated  the  marvellous  natural  gifts  of  the  Western  regions, 
their  development  by  men,  the  rise  of  the  West,  the  contact  of 
American  culture  with  that  of  Asia,  and  the  great  benefit  man- 
kind will  derive  from  the  completion  of  the  Panama  Canal.  — 

While  Bitter  was  engaged  in  all  these  herculean  works,  he 
found  nevertheless  time  to  create  a  large  number  of  statues, 
monuments  and  portrait-busts.  The  most  remarkable  of  these 
works  are  an  equestrian  statue  of  General  Franz  Sigel  (see 
page  103)  and  a  Carl  Schurz  Monument.  Both  have  been 
made  for  New  York  and  are  notable  for  their  dignity.  Besides, 
Bitter  made  for  the  University  of  Virginia  a  wonderful  figure 
of  Thomas  Jefferson;  furthermore  the  beautiful  Villard 
Memorial  in  Sleepy  Hollow  at  Tarrytown,  N.  Y.,  showing  a 
workingman  at  evening's  rest,  having  forged  great  things  on 
the  anvil   of  life. 

When  Bitter  in  1915  lost  accidentally  his  life  in  his  forty- 
seventh  year,  America  lost  a  genius,  who  had  gained  the  un- 
bounded admiration  of  all  his  fellow-craftsmen. 

The  expositions  at  Chicago,  Buffalo  and  St.  Louis  were  also 
the  grounds,  where  Isidor  Konti,  coming  from  Vienna,  found 
opportunities  to  give  full  rein  to  his  rich  imagination.  In  St. 
Louis  the  Great  Cascade  with  an  abundance  of  water-gods, 
nymphs  and  phantastic  creatures  of  the  ocean  was  his  work. 
At  the  same  place  he  exhibited  a  group  "The  Despotic  Age.*' 
It  showed  some  workmen  who,  loaded  with  chains  and  almost 
breaking  down,  pull  a  heavy  triumphal  car,  on  whose  platform 
sits  a  brutal  despot,  whose  hard  cruel  eyes  betray,  that  pity 
is  a  virtue  unknown  to  him.  At  the  side  of  the  car  walks  a 
fury,  driving  on  with  her  whip  the  groaning  human  beasts  of 
burden  to  still  greater  efforts. 

199 


A  tragedy  of  life  was  also  the  subject  of  Alexander  Wein- 
man's most  impressive  group  "Destiny  of  the  Red  Race," 
symbolizing  the  irrevocable  fate  of  the  North  American 
Indians.  As  their  existence  was  depending  upon  the  existence 
of  the  buffalo,  which  provided  them  with  food,  clothing  and 
even  shelter,  the  artist  placed  this  now  almost  extinct  animal 
at  the  head  of  a  small  group,  consisting  of  a  chief,  a  warrior, 
a  squaw  and  a  boy.  With  them  vanishes  Manitou,  the  Great 
Spirit,  to  whom  the  red  men  directed  their  prayers  and  hopes. 

Frederick  W.  Ruckstuhl,  born  in  1853  in  Alsace,  executed 
two  colossal  marble  statues,  "Wisdom"  and  "Force,"  placed 
at  the  steps  of  the  Appellate  Court  House,  New  York  City. 

Other  works  are  "Defense  of  the  Flag"  at  the  Confederate 
Monument  at  Little  Rock,  Ark.;  "Solon,"  "Macauley," 
"Franklin"  and  "Goethe"  in  the  Library  of  Congress;  several 
soldiers'  monuments  and  statues,  among  the  latter  an  equestrian 
statue  of  General  Hartranft,  at  Harrisburg,  Pa. 

Max  Mauch,  A.  SchafF,  Bruno  Louis  Zimm,  Carl  Heber, 
F.  E.  Triebel,  Henry  Linder,  Theodor  Baur,  Gustav  Gerlach, 
Max  Bachman,  M.  Schwarzott,  Rudolf  Schwarz,  Frank  Hap- 
persburger,  Leonard  Volk,  Carl  Gerhart,  A.  Weinert,  E. 
Wuertz,  C.  F.  Hamann,  Charles  Henry  Niehaus,  Otto  Schwei- 
zer,  Albert  Jaegers,  Friedrich  Roth,  and  Charles  Keck  are 
American  sculptors  of  German  descent,  all  of  whom  have 
done  very  creditable  work. 

Niehaus,  born  in  1855  at  Cincinnati,  studied  also  in  Munich. 
After  his  return  he  opened  a  studio  in  New  York,  where  he 
created  numerous  statues  of  noted  Americans,  among  them 
those  of  the  Presidents  Lincoln,  Garfield,  Harrison  and  McKin- 
ley.  At  the  Louisiana  Purchase  Exposition  he  was  represented 
by  a  powerful  equestrial  statue  of  Louis  IX,  King  of  France, 
from  whom  Louisiana  derived  its  name. 

The  city  of  Indianapolis  owns  perhaps  the  most  imposing 
soldiers'  monument  in  the  United  States.  While  its  architectural 
part  was  designed  by  the  famous  architect  Bruno  Schmitz  in 
Berlin,  the  four  magnificent  groups  of  warriors  and  sailors 
have  been  modelled  by  Rudolf  Schwarz,  who  immigrated  in 
1897  from  Vienna.  The  same  artist  made  also  the  soldiers* 
monuments  in  South  Bend,  Terre  Haute,  Dayton,  and  other 
cities  of  Indiana  and  Ohio. 

Otto  Schweizer  in  Philadelphia  is  engaged  in  the  same  line 
of  sculpture.  In  front  of  the  City  Hall  of  Philadelphia  we  find 
his  statue  of  General  Peter  Muhlenberg  (see  page  51);  Utica, 
N.  Y.,  and  Valley  Forge  have  Steuben  monuments;  Buffalo 
a  Schiller  monument.  Also  he  created  numerous  statues  of 
American  statesmen.  Among  his  recent  works  is  a  monument 
to  the  memory  of  Molly  Pitcher  in  Carlisle,  Pa. 

Albert  Jaegers,  born  at  Elberfeld,  Germany,  1 868,  came 
to  Cincinnati  while   still   a  child.      Entirely  self-taught  in  his 

200 


profession,  he  won  a  number  of  competitions  inaugurated  and 
decided  by  the  National  Sculpture  Society.  He  was  also  the 
winner  in  a  competition  for  a  monument  of  Major-General 
Baron  von  Steuben.  This  statue,  standing  at  the  northwest 
corner  of  the  famous  Lafayette  Park  in  Washington,  D.  C, 
shows  the  general  as  standing  on  an  eminence  inspecting  the 
great  maneuvres  held  by  him  in  Valley  Forge  in  spring  of 
T 7 78.  He  is  heavily  cloaked;  the  hand  lightly  at  rest  on  the 
hilt  of  his  sword.  So  he  follows  with  keen  interest  the  unfolding 
movement  of  the  troops  (see  page  56).  At  the  base  of  the 
statue  are  two  groups,  the  one,  "Military  Instruction,"  rep- 
resenting Steuben's  life  work,  the  drilling  and  training  of 
the  American  Army.  An  experienced  warrior  is  shown 
instructing  a  youth  in  the  use  of  the  sword.  In  the  second 
group,  "Commemoration,"  America  is  teaching  youth  to 
honor  the  memory  of  her  heroes.  A  foreign  branch  is  grafted 
into  a  tree  of  her  national  life.  She  welds  to  her  heart  the 
foreigner  who  has  cast  his  life  and  fortune  with  the  weal  and 
woe  of  her  people,  embodying  the  idea  of  unity  and  fraternity 
of  all  nationalities  under  the  guidance  of  a  great  republic. 
The  statue  was  unveiled  in  presence  of  President  William 
Taft  and  of  almost  20,000  delegates  of  German  American 
Societies  on  December  7,  1  9  1  0.  A  chorus  of  1  000  members 
of  the  Northeastern  Singers'  Association,  accompanied  by  the 
United  States  Marine  Band,  sung  the  "Star-Spangled  Banner" 
in  a  most  inspiring  manner.  Then  followed  a  salute  of  honor 
fired  by  a  battery,  amid  the  cheers  of  a  delighted  multitude 
gathered  to  do  honor  to  the  great  hero,  who  had  contributed 
so  generously  to  the  success  of  the  Continental  Army. 

A  second  great  success  was  achieved  by  Jaegers  in  the 
competition  for  a  monument  in  commemoration  of  the  landing 
of  the  German  settlers  of  Germantown. 

The  main  statue  of  this  monument  represents,  throning  high 
upon  a  rock,  the  sacred  light  bearer,  whose  escutcheon,  Sieg- 
fried killing  the  dragon,  typifies  the  eternal  warfare  against 
the  powers  of  darkness.  Reposeful  and  mighty,  the  goddess 
leans  toward  the  oak,  that  fine  emblem  of  German  sturdiness. 
This  statue,  as  the  crowning  feature,  viewed  from  a  certain 
distance,  assumes  the  importance  of  the  monument  proper;  but 
upon  nearer  approach  the  center  figures  of  the  main  group 
below,  the  German  Pilgrim  Father,  absorbs  the  attention  until 
it  is  realized  that  this  is  the  great  note  of  the  monument. 
Fearless  and  true,  this  Pilgrim  steps  forth  into  the  New  World, 
a  prayer  in  his  heart,  his  protecting  arm  around  his  mate  — 
to  face  his  labor  and  his  destiny  (see  frontispiece).  Ever  at 
his  side  walks  the  spirit  of  joy  and  music,  the  spirit  that  points 
to   ideals. 

On  the  sides  and  rear  of  the  pedestal  reliefs  reveal  the 
important  part  the  German  Americans  have  taken  in  the  mak- 

201 


ing  and  development  of  their  adopted  country.  In  the  one 
physical  labor  is  shown  as  the  fundamental  principle  upon 
which  art  and  science  arise.  Another  shows  the  war  volunteer, 
who  freely  sheds  his  blood  for  the  independence  and  union 
of  his  country.  The  last  one  commemorates  the  protest  against 
slavery  made  by  the  inhabitants  of  Germantown  in  1  688. 


As  conspicuous  as  is  the  influence  of  German  painting  and 
sculpture  on  American  art,  so  the  influence  of  German  archi- 
tects on  American  architecture  has  been  very  remarkable. 
Indeed,  it  can  be  said,  that  the  most  beautiful  buildings  of  our 
United  States  have  been  designed  by  architects  of  German 
origin. 

To  begin  with  the  most  prominent  building  of  our  country, 
the  Capitol  at  Washington,  D.  C.,  it  can  be  stated,  that  its 
grand  dome  as  well  as  the  extensions  of  the  Houses  of  Senate 
and  Representatives  have  been  designed  and  executed  by 
Thomas  U.  Walter,  the  grandfather  of  whom,  Jacob  Friedrich 
Walter,   had   immigrated   from  Germany. 

The  dome  is  an  object  of  imposing  beauty,  to  be  seen  for 
miles  around.  No  edifice  in  the  world  possesses  one  equal  to 
it  in  classic  symmetry.  Of  cast  iron,  great  engineering  skill 
was  required  in  its  erection.  The  walls  had  to  be  trussed, 
bolted,  girded  and  clamped  in  every  conceivable  way  to  hold 
in  position  the  immense  superstructure.  To  appreciate  its 
immense  weight  is  scarcely  possible.  Walter  calculated  its 
8,909,200  pounds  of  cast  and  wrought  iron  as  giving  a  pressure 
of  13,477  pounds  to  the  square  foot  at  the  basement  floor, 
and  the  supporting  walls  as  capable  of  holding  755,280  pounds 
to  the  same  area.  The  pressure  upon  the  walls  of  the  cellar 
floor,  exclusive  of  the  weight  of  the  bronze  statue  of  the 
Goddess  of  Freedom,  on  top  of  the  dome,  weighing  14,985 
pounds,  is  estimated  at  51,292,25  3  pounds.  The  dome  is 
composed  of  two  shells,  one  within  the  other,  which  expand 
and  contract  with  the  variations  in  temperature;  between  these 
the  stairway  winds  in  its  ascent.  The  greatest  diameter  at 
the  base  is  1  35  feet  5   inches. 

The  lower  portion  of  the  exterior  is  surrounded  by  36 
columns  representing  the  36  States  in  the  Union  at  the  time  it 
was  designed.  The  1  3  columns  which  encircle  the  lantern 
above  the  tholus  are  emblematic  of  the  1  3  original  States.  This 
lantern  is  24  feet  in  diameter  and  50  feet  in  height.  Its  light 
notifies  the  surrounding  country  for  miles  of  a  night  session  in 
either  House.      The  cost  of  the  dome  was  $1,047,291. 

Walter  constructed  also  the  U.  S.  Treasury  Building,  the 
east  and  west  wing  of  the  Patent  Office,  and  the  beautiful 
Girard  College  in  Philadelphia. 

202 


In  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  the  National  Capitol  is 
the  impressively  beautiful  Library  of  Congress,  also  a  work  of 
German  architects,  namely  Johann  I.  Schmitmeyer,  a  native  of 
Vienna,  and  Paul  Johannes  Pelz,  born  at  Seitendorf  Prussish 
Silesia.  The  latter,  a  pupil  of  Detlef  Lienau,  a  noted  architect 
in  New  York,  had,  previous  to  his  work  on  the  Congressional 
Library,  been  connected  with  the  U.  S.  Lighthouse  Board,  for 
which  he  made  the  designs  for  many  lighthouses,  who  in  1873 
won  the  first  prize  at  the  World's  Exposition  in  Vienna.  In 
the  same  year  he  formed  with  Schmitmeyer  in  Washington  a 
business  agreement,  to  participate  with  him  in  the  competition 
for  the  architectural  plans  of  the  Congressional  Library.  Of 
twenty-eight  designs,  submitted  by  the  foremost  architects  of 
America  as  well  as  Europe,  Schmitmeyer  and  Pelz  were  the 
winners,  holding  the  ground  also  in  a  second  competition,  in 
which  the  number  of  participators  rose  to  forty.  Having  gained 
final  victory,  the  two  Germans  remained  for  thirteen  years  at 
work,  furnishing  the  designs  for  every  detail.  By  making 
several  trips  to  Europe,  they  studied  also  the  arrangements  of 
all  great  libraries  existing.  Merging  the  practical  knowledge 
of  former  centuries  with  modern  innovations,  the  two  architects 
created  thus  the  magnificent  palace  which  stands  in  all  respects 
among  the  libraries  of  the  world  unequalled. 

Without  question  this  building  is  the  most  beautiful  in 
America.  Finished  in  Italian  Renaissance  style,  it  is  with 
its  numerous  spacious  halls,  stairways,  corridors,  assembly 
rooms  and  its  magnificent  reading-rotunda  a  triumph  of 
architectural   art. 

In  view  of  this  fact  and  considering  the  diligent  work  of 
the  architects,  who  spent  almost  a  lifetime  in  their  efforts  to 
reach  in  every  point  highest  perfection,  it  is  deeply  to  be 
regretted,  that  the  two  masters  neither  received  an  adequate 
material  compensation,  nor  the  artistic  recognition  to  which 
they  were  entitled.  After  their  designs  had  been  finished,  the 
Library-Committee,  appointed  by  Congress,  removed  the  two 
architects  and  assigned  General  Thomas  L.  Casey,  chief  of 
the  U.  S.  Corps  of  Engineers,  to  take  charge  of  the  actual 
building  of  the  structure.  As  he  commanded  a  military  educa- 
tion only  and  was  unable  to  supervise  also  the  artistic  part, 
his  son  Edward,  a  young  man  twenty-five  years  of  age,  who 
had  studied  for  a  short  while  at  Ecole  des  Beaux  Arts  in  Paris, 
was  made  artistic  supervisor,  receiving  a  salary  twice  as  high 
as  that  paid  to  Mr.  Pelz,  the  real  architect.  But  this  was  not  all. 
To  crown  these  foul  tricks  a  plate  of  marble  was  inserted  over 
the  main  entrance  of  the  building,  bearing  the  following  in- 
scription: 


204 


Erected  under  the  Acts  of  Congress  of  April    15,    1866, 

October  2,    1888  and  March  2,    1889,  by 

Brig.   Gen.   Thos.   Lincoln  Casey,   Chief  of  Engineers, 

U.  S.  A. 


Bernhard  R.   Green,  Supt.  and  Engineer. 
John  L.  Smithmeyer,  Architect. 

Paul  J.  Pelz,  Architect. 
Edward  Pearce  Casey,  Architect. 


Thus  the  chief  engineer  of  the  U.  S.  Army  was  stamped  as 
the  creator  of  the  library.  The  real  designers  were  to  content 
themselves  with  the  third  and  fourth  place  and  to  share  their 
just  title  with  an  inexperienced  young  man,  who  had  con- 
tributed hardly  anything  toward  the  artistic  design  or  finish 
of  the  wThole  building.  Messrs.  Schmitmeyer  and  Pelz  remon- 
strated against  this  diminution  of  their  credit,  nevertheless  the 
marble  plate  was  inserted  and  is  still  there,  a  visible  monument 
of  influences  at  work  upon  a  Congress  of  our  United  States. 

How  professional  men  judged  of  this  matter  appears  from 
the  following  declaration  of  the  president  and  the  secretary 
of  the  "American  Institute  of  Architects":  "We  are  familiar 
with  this  building,  from  the  beginning  to  the  present  time, 
and  feel  that  no  one  can,  with  propriety  or  honesty,  be  entitled 
to  the  credit  as  architects  of  this  building  except  J.  L.  Smith- 
meyer and  Paul  J.  Pelz.  They  have  devoted  the  best  years 
of  their  lives,  from  1873  to  1893,  in  perfecting  the  plan  and 
in   designing   the   exterior   and    interior   of   that   building."  — 

And  the  magazine  "Architecture  and  Buildings,"  in  its  num- 
ber of  April  3,  1  89  7,  explained :  "It  looks  queer  to  professional 
men  that  the  names  of  the  paymaster  who  drew  the  money 
for  the  building  out  of  the  Treasury  on  his  signature,  and  the 
clerk  of  the  works  or  superintendent,  with  the  supernumerary 
and  superfluous  title  of  engineer  (as  if  there  had  been  anything 
to  "engineer"  in  the  building,  save  the  appropriations  in  Con- 
gress) appear  above  those  of  the  architects,  who  created  it 
in  their  minds  and  who  are  in  truth  the  fathers  of  the  structure. 
Why  does  there  appear  a  line  of  demarkation  below  the  Chief 
of  Engineers,  putting  the  architects  "below  the  salt"  as  it 
were?  —  It  must  be  remembered  here  that  the  advent  of  Gen- 
eral Casey  was  at  a  time,  when  Messrs.  Smithmeyer  &  Pelz 
had,  like  Columbus,  already  discovered  America;  their  plans 
were  complete  and  ready  to  be  proceeded  with." — 

205 


German  American  architects  furnished  also  the  designs  for 
many  other  important  public  buildings.  Hornbostel  designed 
the  beautiful  Technical  High  School  in  Pittsburgh;  also  the 
Memorial  Building  and  the  Educational  Building  in  Albany, 
N.  Y.  Alfred  C.  Clas  erected  the  Public  Libraries  of  Milwaukee 
and  Madison,  Wise.  H.  C.  Koch  made  the  plans  for  the  City 
Hall  in  Milwaukee;  Theodor  Karl  Link  made  the  plans  for 
the  City  Hall  and  the  Union  Station  in  St.  Louis;  Otto  and 
Cyrus  Eidlitz  are  the  architects  of  the  New  York  Times  Build- 
ing, the  Public  Library  in  Buffalo  and  many  business  buildings. 
The  brothers  Hertel  erected  the  beautiful  palace  of  the  Vander- 
bilts  on  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York ;  Henry  J.  Hardenbergh  con- 
structed the  Waldorf-Astoria  Hotel,  the  Plaza,  Manhattan, 
Dakota  Hotel  and  others.  G.  L.  Heins,  as  member  of  the  firm 
Heins  &  La  Farge,  designed  many  churches  and  the  magnifi- 
cent Protestant-Episcopal  Cathedral  of  St.  John  the  Divine  in 
New  York.  Heins,  born  in  1  860  at  Philadelphia,  has  been  also 
the  State  architect  of  all  New  York  State  buildings  since  1  898. 

No  pretense  is  made  of  the  completeness  of  this  chapter, 
outlining  the  works  of  American  artists,  sculptors  and  archi- 
tects of  German  descent.  To  do  justice  to  all  is  impossible 
here.  But  enough  has  been  shown  to  prove,  that  in  all  the 
different  realms  of  art,  representing  the  highest  stages  of  human 
culture,  America  is  deeply  indebted  to  German  Americans. 
Among  their  works  are  many,  that  for  their  noble  conception 
and  artistic  execution  deserve  a  place  of  honor  among  the 
art  treasures  of  the  New  World. 


German  American  Women  and  their 
Works. 

A  history  of  the  German  Women  in  America  has  not  yet 
been  written.  But  the  theme  is  such  an  attractive  and  superb 
one  that,  we  hope,  only  an  incentive  like  this  is  needed,  to 
direct  the  attention  of  some  competent  authoress  to  this  task 
and  inspire  her  to  take  it  up.  What  more  beautiful  theme  could 
she  find  than  to  collect  all  the  scattered  evidences  of  heroism, 
greatness,  fortitude,  perseverance  and  compassion  the  German 
women  have  exhibited  during  the  three  centuries  of  German 
participation  in  the  development  of  this  country? 

Imagine  the  indescribable  hardships  and  perils  the  wives  of 
those  German  pioneers  had  to  face,  who  in  the  1  8th  century 
were  placed  by  the  British  Government  at  the  most  exposed 
localities  on  the  frontier,  where  they  formed  bulwarks  for  the 
English  settlements  against  the  French  and  Indians.  And 
imagine  the  horrors  these  women  were  subjected  to,  when 
during  the  period  from  1777  to  1  782  the  British,  to  annihilate 
their  own  subjects,  engaged  Indians  as  allies  and  inflamed  their 
bloodthirstiness  by  offering  prizes  of  8  to  20  dollars  for  every 
American  scalp,  be  it  of  man,  woman  or  child.  What  tragedies 
may  have  been  linked  with  the  1 062  scalps  of  American 
country  folks,  found  by  Captain  Gerrick  among  British  booty, 
and  intended  to  be  sent  by  the  Indians  as  a  token  of  their 
loyalty  to  the  king!') 

It  is  necessary  to  remind  of  these  dreadful  times  and  such 
events,  that  we  may  recognize  what  German  women  endured 
and  suffered.    That  among  them  were  many  heroines,  we  know 


*)  The  report  of  Captain  Gerrish  was  published  by  Benjamin  Frank- 
lin. It  refers  to  a  skirmish,  in  which  the  Americans  captured  from 
the  British  a  large  quantity  of  furs.  The  report  has  the  following 
passage:  "The  peltry  amount  to  a  good  deal  of  money,  and  the 
possession  of  this  booty  at  first  gave  us  pleasure;  but  we  were  struck 
with  horror  to  find  among  the  packages  eight  large  ones,  containing 
scalps  of  our  unhappy  country  folks,  taken  prisoners  in  the  three 
last  years  by  the  Seneca  Indians  from  the  inhabitants  of  New  York, 
New  Jersey,  Pennsylvania,  and  Virginia,  and  sent  by  them  as  a  present 
to  Colonel  Haldimand,  Governor  of  Canada,  in  order  to  be  by  him 
transmitted  to  England  as  a  token  of  the  loyalty  of  the  Indians  to 
the  king."  The  packages  contained  1062  scalps.  In  accordance  with 
the  well  known  policy  of  the  British  Tories  in  the  United  States  to 
eliminate  from  American  histories  and  school  books  everything  averse 
to  English  interests,  great  efforts  have  been  made  to  discredit  the 
report  of  Captain  Gerrish  and  make  it  appear  as  a  fabrication  of 
Benjamin  Franklin! 

207 


from  the  lives  of  the  wife  of  Christian  Schell,  of  Elisabeth 
Zane,  Emilie  Geiger,  Molly  Pitcher  and  many  others. 

The  praise  conferred  by  Dr.  Rush  on  the  German  women 
of  the  1 8th  century  is  due  also  to  the  German  wives  and 
mothers  of  to-day.  But  to  the  virtues  of  bygone  times  have 
been  added  other  charms,  which  make  these  wives  in  fact 
comrades  to  their  husbands  in  the  highest  meaning  of  the 
word.  Having  entered  the  wide  avenues,  opened  for  their  sex 
by  such  intellectual  pioneers  like  Susan  Anthony,  their  minds 
and  characters  extended  in  greatness  as  well  as  in  richness 
and  diversity. 

Many  highly  gifted  German  women  arrived  in  the  United 
States  with  the  political  refugees  of  1  848.  One  of  the  most 
remarkable  was  Mathilde  Franziska  Anneke,  who  at  the  side 
of  her  husband,  a  former  Prussian  artillery-officer,  had  gone 
through  all  the  hardships  of  that  stormy  period.  While  in 
Germany,  she  had  argued  for  equality  of  the  sexes  and  the 
opening  of  channels  for  woman's  work,  but  the  journals  she 
published  in  this  behalf,  were  suppressed  by  the  reactionary 
government.  After  their  arrival  in  America  Mrs.  Anneke 
became  one  of  the  most  enthusiastic  champions  for  women's 
rights.  In  delivering  the  many  lectures  in  behalf  of  this  move- 
ment, she  was  frequently  interrupted  in  the  beginning  by 
howling  mobs,  but,  by  the  forcefulness  of  her  arguments, 
remained  victorious  and  was  listened  to  with  respectful  atten- 
tion. Making  her  home  in  Milwaukee,  the  German-American 
Athens,  she  was  appreciated  as  a  poetess  and  fiction  writer 
as  well  as  leader  of  a  private  school,  in  which  she  distributed 
freely  of  the  great  wisdom  and  beauty  of  her  noble  heart. 

Well  remembered  are  also  Mrs.  Carl  Schurz,  nee  Margarethe 
Meyer,  who  in  1855  instituted  in  Watertown,  Wise,  a  Frobel 
Kindergarten.  The  memory  of  Anna  Uhl-Ottendorfer  is  also 
alive,  who,  after  the  death  of  her  first  husband,  successfully 
managed  the  New  Yorker  Staatszeitung  for  a  number  of  years. 

Among  German  American  women  notable  for  their  abilities 
in  the  realms  of  literature,  science  and  art,  one  of  the  best 
known  during  the  first  half  of  the  19th  century  was  Therese 
Albertine  Louise  von  Jacob,  better  known  by  her  nom  de 
plume  "Talvj,"  formed  of  the  initials  of  her  name.  She  was 
born  in  Halle,  Germany,  the  daughter  of  the  eminent  professor 
von  Jacob.  In  1830,  when  she  became  the  wife  of  the  Amer- 
ican Orientalist  Edward  Robinson,  professor  at  Andover,  she 
had  already  attained  fame  by  her  splendid  translations  of 
Slavic  folk  songs  into  German.  In  America  she  became  inter- 
ested in  the  colonial  history  of  the  United  States  and  in  Indian 
folk  lore,  and  wrote  among  numerous  other  works  "A  History 
of  Captain  John  Smith"  and  "The  Colonization  of  New  Eng- 
land." In  New  York  the  home  of  the  Robinsons  was  the 
place  where  the  literary  life  of  that  time  focussed. 

208 


A  similar  rendezvous  for  all  intellectual  people  was  the 
home  of  Mrs.  Bayard  Taylor,  the  daughter  of  the  distinguished 
German  astronomer  Peter  Andreas  Hansen.  Her  memoirs 
have  been  published  in  America  under  the  title  "On  Two 
Continents."  They  are  full  of  interesting  reminiscences  of 
the  most  prominent  authors  and  authoresses  of  the  middle 
of  the   19th  century. 

That  among  the  German-American  women  are  many  highly 
gifted  priestesses  of  poetry,  may  be  learned  from  the  beautiful 
contributions  of  Dorothea  Boettcher,  Minna  Kleeberg,  Marie 
Raible,  Pauline  Wiedenmann,  Bella  Fiebing,  Marianne  Kuen- 
bold,  Fanny  Gumpert,  Amalie  von  Ende,  Elisabeth  Mesch, 
Anna  Kirchstein,  Edna  Fern,  Laura  Wilhelmine  Krech,  Sophie 
Neeff,  Anna  Nill,  Elisabeth  Rudolph,  Henni  Hubel,  Martha 
Toeplitz  and  Carrie  von  Veltheim-Huelse  to  the  two  anthol- 
ogies "Deutsch  in  America"  (by  Dr.  G.  A.  Zimmermann, 
Chicago,  1892)  and  "Vom  Lande  des  Sternenbanners"  (by 
Dr.  G.  A.  Neff,  Ellenville,  N.  Y.,  1905).  Several  of  these 
women  are  also  widely  known  for  their  novels,  short  stories, 
travelogues  and   other  prose  works. 

The  four  sisters  Klumpke  of  San  Francisco,  daughters  of  an 
early  German  pioneer  in  California,  distinguished  themselves 
in  different  lines  of  activity.  Anna  Elisabeth  Klumpke  became 
a  noted  artist,  following  the  footsteps  of  her  friend,  the  famous 
Rosa  Bonheur,  who,  in  appreciation  of  her  great  talent, 
bequeathed  to  her  her  chateau  as  well  as  her  fortune.  Augusta 
Klumpke  devoted  herself  to  medical  work  and  became 
professor  in  the  medical  faculty  of  the  University  of  Paris. 
Julia  Klumpke  distinguished  herself  as  violinist,  and 
Dorothea  Klumpke  won  laurels  as  an  astronomer,  by  per- 
forming such  spendid  work  at  the  Observatory  at  Paris,  that 
she  was  made  an  officer  de  TAcademie  of  France. 

As  dramatic  artists  Helene  Hastreiter,  born  in  Louisville, 
and  Marie  von  Ellsner,  born  in  New  York,  belonged  to  the 
great  stars  of  the  latter  part  of  the  1  9th  century.  Helene  Louise 
Leonard,  better  known  under  her  stage  name  Lillian  Russell, 
is  also  of  German  origin. 

One  of  the  most  famous  of  the  great  singers  America  pro- 
duced was  Minnie  Hauck,  born  in  New  York  in  1853  as  the 
daughter  of  one  of  the  German  refugees  of  1 848.  During 
her  many  European  and  American  tours  she  was  everywhere 
received  with  great  enthusiasm  and  won  the  rarest  distinctions 
ever  bestowed  upon  such  artist.  Her  most  fortunate  role,  in 
which  for  a  long  time  she  was  unapproached,  was  "Carmen." 

Other  great  German  singers  who  made  America  their  home 
are  Emma  Juch,  Johanna  Gadski,  Fritzi  Scheff  and  Ernestine 
Schumann-Heink,  all  of  whom  have  on  their  frequent  tours 
throughout  the  United  States  won  the  hearts  and  souls  of  their 
enchanted  hearers  with  their  beautiful  voices. 

The   American   people   are    indebted    also   to   the   German 

209 


women  for  making  them  acquainted  with  the  German  idea 
and  celebration  of  Christmas,  the  sweetest  festival  of  Christian- 
ity. By  introducing  the  Christmas-tree  and  the  custom  of 
exchanging  gifts  to  one  another,  they  made  the  day  of  the 
birth  of  the  Saviour  from  one  of  solemnity  to  one  of  joy,  as 
Christmas  should  really  be  to  us,  at  which  we  more  fully  live 
up  to   "Peace  on  Earth  and  Good  Will  to  Men." 

Most  influential  in  this  direction  have  been  the  efforts  of 
Miss  Carla  Wenckebach,  Mrs.  Elise  Traut  and  Mrs.  J.  B. 
Herreshoff.  Miss  Wenckebach,  professor  of  German  language 
and  literature  at  Wellesly  College,  in  1898  published  the 
charming  essay:  "A  Christmas  Book.  Origin  of  the  Christmas 
Tree,  the  Mistletoe,  the  Yule  Log,  and  St.  Nicholas."  Mrs. 
Elise  Traut,  living  in  New  Britain,  Conn.,  is  authoress  of  a 
similar  work,  having  the  title:  "Christmas  in  Heart  and 
Home."  In  this  book  she  speaks  of  the  deep  significance  of 
Christmas  and  the  most  inspiring  manner  of  its  celebration. 
Mrs.  J.  B.  Herreshoff,  a  descendant  of  the  famous  ship-builders 
family,  succeeded  in  1912  in  making  a  profound  sensation  by 
having  shipped  a  gigantic  fir  of  80  feet  from  the  Adirondack 
Mountains  to  New  York  City,  where  it  was  erected  in  Madison 
Square.  On  Christmas  eve,  when  darkness  came,  the  chimes 
of  the  Metropolitan  Tower  began  to  play  sweet  melodies,  and 
then  at  once  the  gigantic  tree,  which  had  stood  in  mysterious 
gloom,  burst  forth  in  the  splendor  of  thousands  of  electric 
lights,  in  red,  white  and  blue.  The  effect  was  so  overwhelming, 
that  the  immense  crowd,  assembled  there,  broke  into  shouts  of 
delight.  The  joy  increased,  when  one  thousand  poor  children 
were  presented  with  Christmas  gifts. 

The  deep  impressiveness  of  this  celebration  caused  its  repe- 
tition on  all  the  following  years.  Boston,  Philadelphia,  and 
many  other  cities  imitated  the  example  set  by  New  York,  and 
so  the  Christmas  celebration  was  successfully  introduced  in 
American  civic  life.  — 

The  philanthropic  character  of  German-American  women 
was  manifested  in  many  splendid  works  of  charity.  The  names 
of  Anna  Ottendorfer  and  Anna  Woerishoffer  are  inseparably 
connected  with  the  German  Hospital,  the  German  Dispensary 
and  the  beautiful  Isabella  Home  in  New  York.  Catherine  L. 
Wolfe,  whose  ancestors  came  from  Saxony,  is  known  as  the 
founder  of  the  Home  for  Incurables  at  Fordham,  New  York. 
Also  Eleonore  Ruppert  in  Washington  and  Lauretta  Gibson, 
nee  Bodman,  in  Cincinnati  are  remembered  for  their  great 
liberality   toward   similar   institutions. 

Mrs.  Catherine  L.  Wolfe  was  one  of  the  patrons  of  the 
Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art,  in  New  York,  to  which  she 
donated  not  only  her  beautiful  collection  of  paintings,  but 
also    a    fund    of    200,000    dollars    for    their    preservation    and 

210 


increase.  And  another  million  dollars  were  bequeathed  by 
her  to  several  educational  institutions  founded  by  her  father 
and  herself. 

Another  proof  of  the  benevolence  of  the  German-American 
women  is  the  success  of  the  many  grand  bazaars  held  since 
the  outbreak  of  the  European  War  in  all  United  States  cities 
having  a  percentage  of  German  population.  Although  the 
general  management  of  these  affairs  was  in  the  hands  of  men, 
the  greater  amount  of  work  was,  however,  performed  by 
women,  who  with  wonderful  enthusiasm  labored  for  many 
weeks  in  advance  to  secure  the  desired  financial  success.  That 
their  unbounded  inspiration  was  not  transient,  but  deeply 
seated,  has  been  shown  by  the  repetition  and  increasing  results 
of  these  affairs.  The  great  German  Bazaar,  held  in  New  York 
during  December,  1915,  brought  350,000  dollars,  and  the 
financial  result  of  the  bazaar  held  in  Madison  Square  Garden 
from  March  11th  to  23d,  1916,  amounted  to  more  than 
$725,000. 

But  far  more  elevating  than  these  splendid  results  was  the 
spirit,  with  which  the  enormous  amount  of  work  was  accom- 
plished during  these  weeks  by  delicate  women  and  girls.  From 
noon  until  late  into  the  night  they  worked  with  untiring  zeal, 
and  when  at  midnight  the  legions  of  these  volunteers,  thor- 
oughly exhausted,  hurried  to  their  far  away  homes,  their  eyes 
nevertheless  brightened  at  the  thought  of  the  opportunity 
which  enabled  them  to  join  in  such  a  noble  work  of  charity. 
That  these  bazaars  became  such  wonderful  demonstrations  of 
self-sacrifice,  was  in  the  first  line  due  to  the  German-American 
women,  who  by  their  efforts  added  another  leaf  to  their 
wreath  of  gold. 


Monuments  of  Philanthropy. 

As  glorious  as  are  the  physical  and  ethical  contributions  of 
the  German  element  to  American  culture,  so  glorious  are  also 
the  many  works,  which  manifest  their  benevolence  as  well 
as  their  public  spirit  and  love  for  justice. 

The  origin  of  several  of  these  philanthropic  institutions 
goes  back  to  the  1  8th  century. 

It  was  on  Christmas  Day  of  1  764,  that  in  the  little  Lutheran 
schoolhouse  in  Philadelphia  a  number  of  German  citizens 
organized  the  German  Society  of  Pennsylvania,  in  order  to 
fight  the  horrible  abuses,  which  had  arisen  with  European 
immigration.  To  review  these  evils  means  to  open  the  blackest 
pages  of  our  Colonial  history.  English  and  Dutch  shippers, 
not  supervised  by  the  authorities,  who  took  no  interest  in 
the  proper  treatment  and  future  of  emigrants,  committed  the 
most  abominable  crimes  against  these  poor  people.  Pre- 
tending to  be  willing  to  help  all  persons  without  means, 
they  offered  such  people  credit  for  their  passage  across  the 
ocean,  on  condition  that  they  should  work  for  it  after  their 
arrival  in  America,  by  hiring  out  for  a  certain  length  of 
time  as  servants  to  colonists,  who  would  pay  their  wages  in 
advance  by  refunding  the  passage  money  to  the  ship-owners. 
As  these  persons  were  redeeming  themselves  by  performing 
this  service,  they  were  therefore  called  "Redemptioners." 

With  this  harmless-looking  decoy  many  thousands  of  poor 
human  beings  were  lured  to  sign  contracts,  only  to  find  out 
later  that  they  had  become  victims  of  villainous  scoundrels 
and  had  to  pay  for  their  inexperience  with  the  best  years  of 
their  lives. 

The  abuses  of  this  system  grew  in  time  to  such  an  extent, 
that  the  redemptioners  were  in  fact  not  better  treated  than 
slaves  and  were  often  literally  worked  to  death,  to  say  nothing 
of  insufficient  food,  scanty  clothing  and  poor  lodging.  Of 
the  right  to  punish  redemptioners,  many  heartless  people  made 
such  frequent  and  cruel  use,  that  laws  became  necessary  where- 
by it  was  forbidden  to  apply  to  such  servants  more  than  ten 
lashes  for  each  "fault."  Female  redemptioners  were  quite 
often  by  all  kinds  of  devilish  tricks  forced  to  lives  of  shame, 
conditions,  which  some  of  the  peculiar  laws  of  the  colonies 
even  invited. 

Incidents  of  such  character  stirred  the  German  citizens  of 
Philadelphia  to  revolt  against  such  infamous  treatment  of 
immigrants.      Forming  the  German  Society  of  Pennsylvania, 

212 


they  secured  in  time  laws  by  which  ship-owners  as  well  as 
the  captains  and  other  officials  became  subjected  to  strict 
control  and  many  of  the  worst  abuses  were  successfully 
stopped. 

The  German  Society  of  Pennsylvania  became  the  model  for 
many  similar  institutions  in  the  other  parts  of  our  continent, 
as  for  instance  in  New  York,  Charleston,  S.  C,  Baltimore, 
Birmingham,  Boston,  Pittsburgh,  New  Haven,  Rochester, 
Hartford,  St.  Louis,  New  Orleans,  Chicago,  Kansas  City,  San 
Francisco,  Portland  and  Seattle.  By  uncovering  evils  and 
vigorously  persecuting  guilty  persons,  by  continuously  framing 
and  recommending  efficient  laws,  these  societies  secured  at  last 
a  better  treatment  of  the  immigrants  on  the  ocean  as  well  as 
after  landing.  With  full  justice  these  German  Societies  may 
be  called  the  true  originators  of  our  modern  immigration  laws. 

When  in  time  the  regulation  and  enforcement  of  these  laws 
became  national  affairs,  the  German  Societies,  thus  released 
of  a  part  of  their  work,  directed  their  efforts  to  other  problems, 
that  became  more  important  and  difficult  to  solve,  as  the 
exodus   to   America   gained    tremendous  proportions. 

To  give  an  idea  of  their  benevolent  work,  no  better  illus- 
tration can  be  found  than  the  German  Society  of  New  York, 
which  grew  to  be  the  most  important  of  all  when  New  York 
became  the  principal  immigration  port  of  the  United  States. 
Founded  in  1784,  the  society  has  at  present  about  1200 
members  who  pledge  themselves  to  contribute  each  at  least 
$10  annually.  It  directs  its  efforts  principally  to  relieve  the 
distress  of  such  immigrants  as  are  unable  to  find  work,  or  are 
reduced  by  sickness  or  other  unfavorable  circumstances. 
Meals,  coal  and  other  necessities  are  distributed  among  the 
needy.  Numerous  physicians  in  the  service  of  the  society  make 
free  calls  among  deserving  families  and  provide  free  medicines. 
A  special  department  secures  positions  for  persons  looking  for 
work;  an  information  bureau  gives  practical  advice  and  infor- 
mation either  personally  or  by  letter.  A  banking  department 
offers  cheap  and  safe  ways  for  the  transaction  of  money 
matters,  procures  railway  and  steamboat  tickets,  performs 
notarial  acts  and  other  services.  All  profits  deriving  there- 
from are  turned  over  to  the  society's  funds  for  charity. 

To  illustrate  the  activity  of  the  German  Society  of  New 
York  it  may  be  stated,  that  it  distributed  in  1915  to  deserving 
people  $16,911  in  cash;  5565  meal-tickets;  2312  tickets  for 
lodgings  and  632  half  tons  of  coal.  The  physicians  of  the 
Society  made  3347  free  calls  to  sick  people,  to  whom  also 
$2241  in  free  medical  stimulants  were  distributed.  2297  men 
were  provided  with  work;  and  $23,000  as  profit  of  the  busi- 
ness departments  were  turned  over  to  charity. 

As  one  single  grain  of  seed  often  bears  many  fruits  so  the 
German   Society   of   New   York    further    created    the   German 

213 


Savings  Bank,  the  German  Hospital,  the  German  Rechts- 
schutzverein,  and,  through  the  latter,  the  Legal  Aid  Society  of 
New   York. 

The  establishment  of  the  two  latter  institutions  resulted 
from  the  desire,  to  assist  immigrants  who  had  been  wronged 
and  were  too  poor  to  pay  for  legal  assistance.  To  procure 
justice  for  them  the  Rechtsschutzverein  was  founded  in  March 
1876,  with  its  own  bureau  and  lawyers,  to  hear  and  right  the 
complaints  of  German  immigrants. 

But  immigrants  of  other  nationalities  came  also,  suffering 
from  bitter  wrongs.  To  send  them  away  would  have  been 
cruel,  impossible.  Therefore  it  was  decided  in  1890,  that  the 
bureau  should  give  assistance  to  all  who  might  ask  legal  help 
without  considering  their  nationalities.  But  as  such  liberality 
threatened  the  means  of  the  Society  with  exhaustion,  it  was 
suggested  to  invite  the  help  of  the  general  public  for  the  good 
work.  At  the  same  time  it  was  resolved  to  change  the  name 
of  the  institution  to  Legal  Aid  Society,  to  indicate  its  general 
character. 

Under  the  able  leadership  of  Arthur  von  Briesen,  who 
remained  at  the  helm  of  the  Legal  Aid  Society  from  the 
beginning  until  1916,  a  period  of  26  years,  the  business  of  the 
Society  increased  tremendously. 

Taking  the  Legal  Aid  Society  of  New  York  as  a  model, 
similar  institutions  have  been  established  in  Boston,  Philadel- 
phia, Washington,  Newark,  Pittsburgh,  Cincinnati,  Chicago, 
San  Francisco  and  Atlanta;  also  in  Berlin,  Hamburg,  Kopen- 
hagen  and  many  other  European  cities.  When  in  October 
1913  in  Nuernberg,  Germany,  the  first  international  conven- 
tion of  Legal  Aid  Societies  was  held,  it  appeared,  that  in  Ger- 
many alone  3  1  2  of  such  corporations  had  been  organized,  all 
after  the  model  of  the  New  York  society. 

Thus  we  see  that  since  the  Christmas  meeting  at  the  Lutheran 

schoolhouse  in  Philadelphia  untold  millions  of  people  profited 

by  the  earnest  work,  begun  by  that  small  band  of  Germans, 

who   had   the  welfare   of  their   poor  countrymen  so  much   at 

heart,  and  who  showed  what  genuine  Christmas  spirit  can  do 

for  humanity,  if  only  put  to  proper  purpose. 

*       4S        *        # 

German  charity  is  responsible  also  for  many  splendid  hos- 
pitals, orphan  asylums,  homes  for  aged  people  and  similar 
institutions. 

Reverend  William  Augustus  Muhlenberg,  belonging  to  the 
famous  Muhlenberg  family,  was  the  founder  of  the  beautiful 
St.  Luke's  Hospital  in  New  York  and  was  in  charge  of  it  as 
superintendent  until  his  death  in  1877.  He  also  was  originator 
of  St.  John's  Land  on  Long  Island,  with  homes  for  old  men 
and  crippled  children.  Similar  institutions  were  founded  by 
Johann   D.    Lankenau  and   Peter  Schem  in   Philadelphia;  by 

214 


Georg  Ellwanger  in  Rochester ;  by  Anna  Woerishoffer,  Edward 
Uhl,  Henry  Villard,  Georg  H.  Schrader,  H.  O.  Havemeyer 
in  New  York,  Louis  Zettler  in  Columbus,  Ohio,  and  many 
others.  German  charity  directed  its  attention  also  to  the  proper 
care  of  dumb  animals.  The  organization  in  1 866  of  the 
Society  for  the  Prevention  of  Cruelty  to  Animals  in  New  York 
is  due  to  Henry  Bergh,  born  in  1  823  in  New  York  of  German 
ancestry.  Through  his  efforts  cock-  and  dog  fights  were  pro- 
hibited, and  also  the  transportation  and  killing  of  cattle,  the 
care  of  the  horse  and  other  beasts  of  burden  greatly  improved. 
By  inventing  clay-pigeons  he  found  a  substitute  for  live  pigeons 
in  shooting-matches,  and  to  him  is  due  also  the  erection  of 
watering  places  for  animals  in  large  cities.  Making  frequent 
lecture  tours  throughout  the  country,  he  implored  also  the 
clergymen  to  preach  at  least  once  a  year  in  the  behalf  of  those, 
"who  could  not  speak  for  themselves."  The  splendid  results, 
obtained  by  this  society,  encouraged  Bergh,  to  organize  also 
the  Society  for  the  Prevention  of  Cruelty  to  Children." 

Noted  as  an  indefatigable  organizer  of  charity  institutions  is 
also  Louis  Klopsch,  a  journalist  born  in  1852  in  Germany. 
Through  his  magazine  The  Christian  Herald  he  conducted 
large  philanthropies,  raising  and  distributing  over  4,000,000 
dollars,  including  the  Russian  famine  relief,  the  Indian  famine 
relief,  and  the  relief  of  the  starving  reconcentrados  in  Cuba. 
Enormous  sums  were  also  raised  for  famine  sufferers  in  Italy, 
Sweden,   Finland,   China,  Japan  and  elsewhere.  — 

The  Germans'  great  regard  for  science  and  learning  mani- 
fested itself  in  many  gifts  to  public  libraries,  museums,  schools, 
universities  and  similar  institutions.  One  of  the  first  and  most 
significant  donations  of  this  kind  in  America  was  that  of  the 
famous  Astor  Library  to  the  City  of  New  York  by  Johann 
Jacob  Astor,  the  founder  of  the  American  Fur  Company. 
This  library  had  several  hundred  thousand  volumes.  Opened 
on  February  1,  1854,  it  has  been  to  many  millions  of  people 
a  never  failing  source  of  edification.  For  its  maintainance 
and  increase  it  was  endowed  by  Astor  and  his  descendents  to 
an  amount  of  $1,700,000.  In  1895  this  library  was  merged 
with  the  famous  Lenox  and  Tilden  Libraries  into  the  New  York 
Public  Library,  which  since  May  23,  1 9  1  1 ,  is  housed  in  the 
beautiful  marble  palace   at  42d  Street  and   5th  Avenue. 

Oswald  Ottendorfer  made  a  similar  gift  to  New  York  in 
1  899  in  the  form  of  a  Germanistic  Library,  which  mediates 
to  students  the  rich  treasures  of  ancient  and  modern  German 
literature. 

In  Philadelphia  William  Wagner,  an  enthusiastic  friend  of 
natural  history,  founded  in  1855  the  Wagner  Free  Institute  of 
Science,  which  besides  containing  priceless  collections,  employs 
an  able  corps  of  lecturers,  who  give  free  instrutions  in  natural 


215 


The  Germans  also  contributed  freely  to  the  University  of 
Pennsylvania.  General  Isaac  Wistar  (Wtister)  presented  not 
only  the  building  for  the  Wistar  Institute  of  Anatomy  and 
Biology,  but  provided  it  also  with  a  liberal  endowment. 
Anthony  J.  Drexel,  son  of  Franz  Martin  Drexel  of  Tirol, 
founded  the  Drexel  Institute  of  Art,  Science  and  Industry. 
The  cost  of  the  beautiful  building  was  about  $4,500,000. 
The  institute  is  devoted  to  the  education  of  young  men  and 
women  in  arts,   technics  and  craftsmanship. 

Jacob  Tome,  born  in  Manheim,  Pa.,  as  the  son  of  a  German 
Lutheran  family,  left  about  3,000,000  dollars  for  the  estab- 
lishment of  the  Tome  Institute  at  Exeter  and  Andover,  Pa., 
which  is  a  preparatory  school  for  poor  children  for  college. 

The  heirs  of  Johann  Kraus  in  Syracuse  donated  in  his 
memory  the  beautiful  Crouse  Building,  the  home  of  the 
musical  department  of  the  Syracuse  University. 

Louis  Miller,  the  son  of  a  Maryland  German,  born  in  1  829 
in  Greentown,  Ohio,  conceived  and  organized  the  famous 
Chautauqua  institution,  located  at  Chautauqua  in  Western  New 
York  and  devoted  to  educational,  religious  and  social  work. 
There  has  been  established  a  Summer  School,  which  is  noted 
for  its  lectures,  classes  and  summer  recreations  and  was  the 
incentive  for  the  founding  of  sister  institutions  in  many  parts 
of  the  United  States. 

Richard  Hermann  founded  in  Dubuque  the  Hermann 
Museum  of  Natural  History.  Adolf  Sutro  gave  to  San  Fran- 
cisco a  public  reference  library  of  200,000  volumes,  a  large 
collection  of  paintings,  a  public  park,  public  baths  and  a 
replica  of  Bartholdi's  Statue  of  Liberty.  Claus  Spreckels,  the 
Sugar  king  of  California,  supported  liberally  all  benevolent 
enterprises  and  donated  to  the  Golden  Gate  Park  of  San 
Francisco  a  beautiful  music  pavillion,  costing  100,000  dollars. 

Adolphus  Busch,  the  late  president  of  the  Anheuser-Busch 
Brewing  Association  in  St.  Louis,  contributed  250,000  dollars 
to  the  Germanistic  Museum  at  Harvard  University  in  Cam- 
bridge, Mass.,  and  gave  a  similar  amount  to  the  Washington 
University  at  St.  Louis;  also  many  hundred  thousands  of 
dollars  to  charity.  To  the  generosity  of  Friedrich  Pabst  and 
Joseph  Schlitz  the  inhabitants  of  Milwaukee  are  indebted  for 
a  beautiful  theatre  and   a  public  park. 

John  Fritz  of  Bethlehem  gave  the  Lehigh  University  a 
thoroughly  equipped  engineering  laboratory,  valued  at  over 
$50,000.  Other  Germans  of  Pennsylvania  made  gifts  to  the 
Franklin  and  Marshall  College  at  Lancaster. 

C.  A.  Ficke  in  Davenport  made  very  valuable  donations 
in  money  as  well  as  in  archaeological  and  ethnological  collec- 
tions to   the   Davenport  Academy  of  Science. 

Henry  Villard  provided  the  means  for  several  scientific 
expeditions  to  Peru  and  Bolivia,  which  were  under  supervision 

216 


of  the  famous  archaeologist  Adolf  Bandelier  and  enriched  the 
American  Museum   of  Natural  History. 

William  Ziegler,  the  organizer  of  the  Royal  Baking  Powder 
Company,  furnished  the  money  for  an  exploration  expedition 
which  penetrated  the  Arctic  regions  by  way  of  Franz  Joseph 
Land.  Through  the  same  source  Lieutenant  Peary  was  enabled 
to  make  in  1906  one  of  his  memorable  expeditions  toward  the 
North  Pole. 

John  D.  Rockefeller,  a  descendant  of  Johann  Peter  Rocke- 
feller of  Germany,  gave  untold  millions  to  the  General  Educa- 
tion Board,  the  University  of  Chicago,  the  Rockefeller  Insti- 
tute for  Medical  Research  in  New  York,  to  Yale,  Brown, 
Johns  Hopkins,  Cornell,  Vassar  Universities  and  other  institu- 
tions. James  Lick,  descendant  of  a  Pennsylvania  German 
family  Luck,  left  to  California  several  million  dollars  for 
scientific  and  benevolent  purposes.  Among  these  donations 
were  those  for  the  construction  of  the  Lick-Observatorium  on 
the  summit  of  Mount  Hamilton,  California,  which  is  world- 
famous  for  its  magnificent  discoveries  in  astronomy. 


The  National  German  American  Alliance 
and  its  Purposes. 

The  beginning  of  the  20th  century  marks  also  for  the 
German  element  of  the  United  States  the  beginning  of  a  new 
and  promising  era.  Alive  to  the  great  advantages  of  centraliza- 
tion a  small  number  of  representative  citizens  of  various  States 
of  the  Union  assembled  on  October  6,  1901,  in  Philadelphia, 
the  old  stronghold  of  German  effort  in  America,  to  organize 
the  National  German  American  Alliance,  not  for  the  purpose 
of  forming  a  State  within  the  States,  but  to  consolidate  the 
enormous  forces  of  the  German  American  population  for  the 


BUILDING   OF   THE    GERMAN   SOCIETY    OF    PENNSYLVANIA,    THE 
BIRTHPLACE     OF     THE     NATIONAL     GERMAN     AMERICAN     ALLIANCE. 


sole  purpose  of  promoting  everything  that  is  good  in  German 
character  and  culture  and  that  might  be  to  the  benefit  and 
welfare  of  the  whole  American  nation. 

The  constituting  convention  took  place  in  the  hall  of  the 
German  Society  of  Pennsylvania  and  was  combined  with  a 
celebration  of  the  "German  Day,"  in  commemoration  of  the 
landing  of  the  German  Pilgrims  in  Philadelphia  on  October 
6,  1683. 

218 


The  platform  adopted  by  the  National  German  American 
Alliance  in  this  convention  sets  forth  and  explains  its  purposes. 
It  reads  as  follows: 


Principles  of  the  National  German  American  Alliance  of  the 
United  States  of  America. 

The  National  German  American  Alliance  aims  to  awaken 
and  strengthen  the  sense  of  unity  among  the  people  of  German 
origin  in  America  with  a  view  to  promote  useful  and  healthy 
development  of  the  power  inherent  in  them  as  a  united  body 
for  the  mutual  energetic  protection  of  such  legitimate  desires 
and  interests  not  inconsistent  with  the  common  good  of  the 
country  and  the  rights  and  duties  of  good  citizens;  to  check 
nativistic  encroachments;  to  maintain  and  safeguard  the  good 
friendly  relations  existing  between  America  and  the  old 
German  fatherland.  To  read  the  history  of  German  immigra- 
tion is  to  be  convinced  how  much  it  has  contributed  to  the 
advancement  of  the  spiritual  and  economic  development  of 
this  country,  and  to  realize  what  it  is  still  destined  to  con- 
tribute, and  how  the  German  immigrant  has  at  all  times  stood 
by  his  adopted  country  in  weal  and  in  woe. 

The  Alliance  demands,  therefore,  the  full  honest  recognition 
of  these  merits  and  opposes  every  attempt  to  belittle  them. 
Always  true  to  the  adopted  country,  ever  ready  to  risk  all  for 
its  welfare,  sincere  and  unselfish  in  the  exercise  of  the  duties 
of  citizenship,  respecting  the  law  —  still  remain  the  watch- 
word! It  has  no  exclusive  interests  in  view,  nor  the  founding 
of  a  State  within  a  State,  but  sees  in  the  centralization  of  the 
inhabitants  of  German  origin  the  shortest  road  and  the  surest 
guarantee  for  the  attainment  of  the  aims  set  forth  in  this  con- 
stitution. It  calls,  therefore,  on  all  German  organizations  — 
as  the  organized  representatives  of  the  German  spirit  and 
manners  —  to  co-operate  with  it  for  their  development,  and 
recommends  further  the  formation  of  societies  in  all  the  States 
of  the  Union  for  the  preservation  of  the  interest  of  German 
Americans,  looking  toward  an  eventual  centralization  of  these 
societies  into  a  great  German  American  Alliance,  and  would 
have  all  German  societies  consider  it  a  duty  and  an  honor 
to  join  the  organization  in  their  respective  States.  The  Alliance 
engages  to  labor  firmly  and  at  all  times,  with  all  the  legal 
means  at  its  command,  for  the  maintenance  and  propagation 
of  its  principles,  and  to  defend  them  energetically  wherever 
and  whenever  they  are  in  danger.  Its  purposes  are  the  follow- 
ing platform: 

1  .  The  Alliance,  as  such,  refrains  from  all  interference  in 
party  politics,  reserving,  however,  the  right  and  duty  to  defend 
its  principles  also  in  the  political  field,  in  case  these  should  be 

219 


attacked  or  endangered  by  political  measures.  The  Alliance 
will  inaugurate  and  support  all  legislation  for  the  common 
good  that  is  sure  to  find  unanimous  approval  of  its  members. 

2  .    Questions  and  matters  of  religion  are  strictly  excluded. 

3 .  It  recommends  the  introduction  of  the  study  of  German 
into  the  public  schools  on  the  following  broad  basis: 

Along  with  English,  German  is  a  world  language;  wherever 
the  pioneers  of  civilization,  trade  and  commerce  have  pene- 
trated, we  find  the  people  of  both  languages  represented; 
wherever  real  knowledge  of  another  language  prevails  more 
generally,  there  an  independent,  clear  and  unprejudiced  under- 
standing is  more  easily  formed  and  mutual  friendly  relations 
are  promoted. 

4 .  We  live  in  an  age  of  progress  and  invention ;  the  pace 
of  our  time  is  rapid,  and  the  demands  on  the  individual  are 
inexorable;  the  physical  exertion  involved  increases  the 
demand  on  bodily  force;  a  healthy  mind  should  live  in  a 
healthy  body.  For  these  reasons  the  alliance  will  labor  for 
the  introduction  of  systematic  and  practical  gymnastic 
instruction   (physical  culture)   in  the  public  schools. 

5  .  It  further  declares  in  favor  of  taking  the  school  out  of 
politics,  for  only  a  system  of  education  that  is  free  from 
political  influence  can  offer  the  people  real  and  satisfactory 
schools. 

6 .  It  calls  on  all  Germans  to  acquire  the  right  of  citizenship 
as  soon  as  they  are  legally  entitled  to  it,  to  take  an  active  part 
in  public  life,  and  to  exercise  their  right  at  the  polls  fearlessly 
and  according  to  their  own  judgment. 

7  .  It  recommends  either  a  liberal  and  modern  interpretation 
or  the  abolition  of  laws,  that  put  unnecessary  difficulties  in  the 
way  of  acquiring  the  right  of  citizenship,  and  frequently  entirely 
prevent  it.  Good  character,  unblamable  upright  life,  obedience 
to  laws  should  decide,  and  not  the  answering  or  non-answering 
of  arbitrarily  selected  political  or  historical  questions,  that 
easily  confuse  the  applicant. 

8 .  It  opposes  any  and  every  restriction  of  immigration  of 
healthy  persons  from  Europe,  exclusive  of  convicted  criminals 
and   anarchists. 

9  .  It  favors  the  abolition  of  antiquated  laws  no  longer  in 
accord  with  the  spirit  of  the  times,  that  check  free  inter- 
course and  restrict  the  personal  freedom  of  the  citizen,  and 
recommends  a  sane  regulation  of  the  liquor  traffic  in  conformity 
with  good  common  sense  and  high  ethical  principles. 

10.    It  recommends  the  founding  of  educational  societies 

220 


that  will  foster  the  German  language  and  literature,  teach 
those  anxious  to  learn,  and  arrange  courses  of  lectures  on  art 
and  science  and  questions  of  general  interest. 

11.  It  recommends  a  systematic  investigation  of  the  share 
Germans  have  had  in  the  development  of  their  adopted 
country,  in  war  and  in  peace,  in  all  kinds  of  German  American 
activity,  from  the  earliest  days,  as  the  basis  for  the  founding 
and  continuance  of  a  German  American  history. 

1 2 .  The  Alliance  advocates  all  legal  and  economically 
correct  measures  for  the  protection  of  the  forests  of  the 
United   States. 

1  3 .  We  deem  it  our  duty  to  assist  as  much  as  possible 
original  ideas  and  inventions  of  Americans  of  German  birth 
or  descent  for  the  common  good  of  our  country. 

14.  It  reserves  the  right  to  extend  or  supplement  this  plat- 
form when  new  conditions  within  its  scope  and  its  aims  make 
it  desirable  or  necessary. 

This  platform  contains  nothing  whatever  that  is  not  in  full 
accord  with  good  citizenship  and  to  the  best  interests  of  the 
whole  country.  In  recognition  of  this  fact  the  Alliance  was, 
after  a  very  painstaking  investigation  of  its  aims  and  purposes, 
incorporated  on  February  27,    1907,  by  an  Act  of  Congress. 

The  Alliance  was  fortunate  enough  to  find  in  Dr.  Charles 
John  Hexamer  an  enthusiastic  leader,  who  since  the  founding 
of  the  organization  has  kept  it  in  the  right  channel.  That  the 
movement  met  the  enthusiastic  response  from  the  whole 
German  American  population,  is  seen  by  the  rapid  extension 
of  the  Alliance,  which  now  has  organizations  in  every  State 
of  the  Union,  even  in  Hawaii. 

Its  whole  membership  amounts  to  about  2Vz  to  3  millions. 
The  national  conventions  are  held  biannually  and  have  taken 
place  as  follows:  1903  at  Baltimore;  1905  at  Indianapolis; 
1907  at  New  York;  1909  at  Cincinnati;  1911  at  Washington; 
1913  at  St.  Louis;  and    1915   at  San  Francisco. 

One  of  the  first  acts  of  the  constitutional  convention  of 
October  6,  1901,  was  the  adoption  of  a  motion  made  by 
Rudolf  Cronau,  the  delegate  from  New  York,  that  a  monument 
be  erected  to  the  memory  of  Franz  Daniel  Pastorius  and  the 
Founders  of  Germantown.  For  this  purpose  the  Alliance 
collected  from  its  members  $30,000,  to  which  the  U.  S.  Con- 
gress in  recognition  of  the  great  contributions  of  the  German 
element  to  American  culture  granted  an  additional  sum  of 
$25,000.  The  monument,  executed  by  Albert  Jaegers  in  New 
York,  has  been  described  in  another  chapter. 

In  like  manner  the  memory  of  the  Major-Generals  von 
Steuben  and  Muhlenberg  has  been  honored  by  the  erection  of 

221 


beautiful  statues  in  Washington,  D.  C,  in  the  Valley  Forge 
National  Park,  in  Utica,  N.  Y.,  and  in  Philadelphia.  The 
Johnstown  branch  of  the  Pennsylvania  organization  erected 
a  monumental  fountain  with  the  bust  of  Joseph  Schantz,  the 
first  settler  of  that  city,  a  German.  The  United  Societies  of 
New  York  City  did  homage  to  the  memory  of  Jakob  Leisler 
by  planting  an  oak  tree  in  City  Hall  Park.  In  response  to  its 
advocacy  the  name  of  a  public  park  bordering  on  East  River 
was  changed  to  Carl  Schurz  Park.  The  New  York  State 
organization  succeeded  in  having  a  bill  passed  in  legislature  by 


DR.  CHARLES  JOHN  HEXAMER. 


which  the  old  homestead  of  Nicolas  Herchheimer  was  pur- 
chased and  made  a  historic  museum,  containing  relics  of  the 
General  and  the  war  for  independence.  For  Major-General 
Peter  Osterhaus  and  to  the  widow  of  Franz  Sigel  pensions  were 
secured.  Large  sums  were  collected  and  distributed  to  the 
San  Francisco  Earthquake  Sufferers,  and  to  the  wounded  and 
the  war-widows  and  orphans  in  Germany  and  Austro- 
Hungary.  The  sums  raised  for  these  humanitarian  purposes 
amounted  in  spring    1917  to  one  million  dollars. 

222 


In  accordance  with  its  principles  the  German  American 
Alliance  promotes  the  culture  of  gymnastics,  song,  music,  art 
and  the  study  of  the  German  language  and  literature  in  the 
public  schools.  By  pointing  out  the  great  achievements  of  the 
German  element  in  America  it  seeks  to  secure  a  proper  respect 
and  fair  regard  for  this  element.  By  founding  a  Junior  Order 
in  1908  it  seeks  to  inspire  the  younger  generation  to  continue 
the  work  of  their  fathers,  and  to  display  the  same  industrious- 
ness,  enterprise  and  patriotism.  By  lifting  its  members  from 
the  narrow  limits  of  club-life,  it  induces  them  to  participate 
as  true  citizens  of  the  Republic  in  all  public  affairs.  Through 
its  committees  it  makes  practical  recommendations  for  the 
preservation  and  wise  utilization  of  all  natural  resources  of 
our  country. 

And  so  it  strives  in  many  directions  to  win  recognition  for 
its  motto:  "Always  true  to  our  adopted  country;  ever  ready 
to  risk  all  for  its  welfare;  sincere  and  unselfish  in  the  duties 
of  citizenship ;  respecting  the  law  —  is  and  always  shall  remain 
the  watchword." 


EMBLEM  OF  THE  NATIONAL  GERMAN  AMERICAN  ALLIANCE. 


The  Future  Mission  of  the  German 
Element  in  the  United  States. 

When  the  National  German  American  Alliance  held  its 
sixth  convention  at  Washington,  D.  C,  in  October  1911,  the 
delegates  were  welcomed  in  hearty  editorials  by  all  papers 
of  our  Capital.     One  of  these  editorials  read  as  follows: 

"The  German  Americans. 

Throughout  American  history  runs  testimony  bear- 
ing on  the  value  and  high  character  of  the  Germans 
who  have  made  the  new  world  their  home.  It  is 
beyond  the  powers  of  estimation  for  even  the  shrewd- 
est judge  of  historical  values  to  determine  how  great 
has  been  the  benefit  bestowed  upon  the  western  repub- 
lic by  the  sturdy  sons  of  the  Fatherland  who  have 
come  here  to  settle,  to  build,  to  prosper  and  to  become 
an  integral  part  of  our  nation.  The  fact  that  they  main- 
tain "German  American"  societies  and  institutions  in 
no  wise  lessens  their  value  to  this  country  or  their 
loyalty  to  it  in  all  its  activities.  The  "German  Amer- 
ican" is  first  the  American,  and  it  is  to  his  credit  that 
he  retains  an  affection  for  the  land  of  his  birth  or  of 
the  origin  of  his  parents,  and  preserves  its  traditions 
and  continues  the  use  of  its  language. 

The  sessions  of  the  National  German  American 
Alliance  now  in  progress  in  this  city  are  attended  by 
men  who  command  unqualified  respect  for  their  char- 
acter, their  progress,  their  influence  in  their  communi- 
ties and  the  constructive  work  that  they  have  been  and 
are  doing  in  the  upbuilding  of  the  nation.  They  are 
what  are  known  as  "good  citizens,"  law  abiding, 
charitable,  considerate  and  patriotic.  Such  men  as 
these  were  of  the  most  substantial  service  to  this  gov- 
ernment fifty  years  ago,  when  it  was  menaced  with 
destruction.  In  statesmanship,  in  science,  in  business, 
in  the  professions,  the  trades  and  the  arts  the  German 
Americans  have  contributed  many  leaders  and  have 
written  a  record  of  great  achievements. 

Washington  welcomes  these  men,  who  stand  for  so 
large  a  part  of  the  American  life  of  to-day,  and  trusts 
that  their  visit  to  the  capital  will  make  them  appreciate 
the  fact  that  they  are  citizens  of  a  country  which  offers 
more  of  opportunity  than  the  land  whose  memory  they 
honor  and  to  which  America  feels  grateful  for  contrib- 
uting them  to  it." 

224 


This  appreciation  of  the  German  element  of  the  United 
States  was  received  by  all  delegates  to  the  Convention  of  the 
National  German  American  Alliance  with  great  satisfaction. 
Recognizing  that  the  aims  and  efforts  of  the  Alliance  were 
well  understood  and  valued,  the  delegates  were  inspired  to 
continue  in  their  work  as  well  as  in  the  resolution,  never  to 
relax  in  the  duties  owed  by  them  to  this  country  as  loyal 
citizens. 

Of  these  obligations  the  most  sacred  is  to  guard  for  all  future 
generations  that  precious  gift  derived  from  our  ancestors,  won 
with  their  blood  and  the  sacrifice  of  their  lives: 
The  Independence  of  our  Country. 

To  keep  this  country  free  and  independent  is  a  duty  equally 
incumbent  on  German  Americans  as  on  all  other  loyal  citizens. 
This  task  requires  constant  vigilance,  for  danger  is  ahead ! 

All  who  have  eyes  to  see  and  ears  to  hear  must  be  aware, 
that  another  struggle  for  the  freedom  of  our  United  States  is 
impending,  as  was  pointed  out  in  1914  by  the  author  of  this 
work  in  the  pamphlet:  "Do  we  need  a  third  War  for  Inde- 
pendence?" It  may  become  the  most  difficult  and  desperate  of 
all,  as  for  many  years  mighty  powers  and  numerous  shrewd 
men  have  been  at  work,  to  deliver  our  republic  back  into  the 
hands  of  that  country  which  since  the  days  of  our  Declaration 
of  Independence  has  been  the  worst  and  unscrupulous  enemy 
of  our  United  States:  England. 

The  origin  of  the  conspiracy  to  reunite  the  destiny  of  our 
republic  with  that  of  Great  Britain  dates  back  to  September  1  9, 
1877,  when  Cecil  Rhodes,  the  "Diamond  King  of  South 
Africa,"  and  the  intellectual  originator  of  the  infamous 
Jameson-Raid  and  the  war  of  conquest  against  the  South 
African  Republics,  made  in  the  first  draft  of  his  will  provisions 
for  the  following  purpose: 

"To  and  for  the  establishment,  promotion  and 
development  of  a  SECRET  SOCIETY,  the  true  aim  of 
which  and  object  whereof  shall  be  the  extension  of 

BRITISH  RULE  THROUGHOUT  THE  WORLD 

and  especially  THE  ULTIMATE  RECOVERY  OF 
THE  UNITED  STATES  OF  AMERICA  AS  AN  IN- 
TEGRATE PART  OF  THE  BRITISH  EMPIRE." 

Rhodes,  possessing  all  the  ingenuity,  audacity  and  unscrupu- 
lousness  of  his  prototypes  Robert  Clive,  Warren  Hastings 
and  other  transgressors  who  were  so  instrumental  in  the 
extension  of  the  British  Empire,  was  actuated  by  a  passionate 
desire  to  make  for  himself  a  great  name  in  history.  With  this 
aim  in  view  he  conceived  the  idea  to  make  England  and  the 
Anglo-Saxon  race  the  dominating  powers  of  the  world. 

To  bring  about  the  union  of  all  English  speaking  people, 
Rhodes   established,    in   the   conviction   that   educational   rela- 

225 


tions  make  the  strongest  tie,  the  so-called  "Rhodes  Scholar- 
ships," for  which  he  set  aside  a  fund  of  several  million  pounds. 
This  institution  provides  for  the  election   of  three  to  nine 
scholars  from  each  of  the  British  Colonies,  and  two  from  each 
State    and    Territory    of    the   United    States,    or    one    hundred 
Americans  in  all.    Each  scholarship  covers  a  three  years'  course 
at  the  University  of  Oxford,  and  each  student  receives  an  allow- 
ance of  300  pounds  a  year,  which  is  equivalent  to  $1500.     In 
awarding   the  scholarships   account  shall  be  taken   of  various 
qualities,    among    them    the    desire   to    serve   in    public    affairs. 
On   July    1,     1899,    Rhodes   dictated    another    draft    of   his 
last  will,  in  which  the  provisions  for  the  scholarships  are  more 
specified.     In  January,    1901,  he  added  the  following  codicil: 
"I  note  the  German  Emperor  has  made  instruction 
in   English   compulsory   in   German   schools.       I    leave 
five  yearly  scholarships  at  Oxford  of  250  pounds  per 
annum  to   students  of  German  birth,    the  scholars  to 
be  nominated  by  the  German   Emperor  for  the  time 
being." 
That  these  dispositions  are  not  fully  approved  at  Oxford, 
appears  from  an  article   "The  American  Rhodes  Scholars  at 
Oxford"  in  the  "Educational  Review"  of  February  1905.     On 
page  1  1  7  it  says : 

"Oxford  is  carrying  out  the  Rhodes  bequest  without 
being  in  sympathy  with  the  Anglo-Saxon  ideal.  When 
the  Dons  think  aloud  they  blurt  out  the  truth  that  in 
their  estimation  the  Colossus  of  South  Africa  made  a 
gigantic  mistake  in  undertaking  to  educate  Germans, 
Americans,  and  even  Colonials,  at  Oxford  on  terms  of 
equality  with  Englishmen.  They  do  not  hesitate  to  say 
that  it  would  have  been  better  if  he  had  left  his 
fortune  to  the  university  itself,  which  is  not  well 
endowed,  although  the  colleges  themselves  are  rich. 
They  consider  it  a  misfortune  that  the  Rhodes'  Scholar- 
ship Trust  is  diverted  from  the  education  of  English- 
men, Welshmen  and  Scotsmen,  and  possibly  Irishmen 
as  well,  to  a  missionary  enterprise  for  converting 
Germans,  Americans,  and  Colonials  into  good  Anglo- 
Saxons.  They  would  certainly  have  dropped  the 
Germans,  if  they  could  have  had  their  way;  for  they 
do  not  believe  that  the  students  nominated  from  the 
palace  in  Berlin  will  ever  be  good  Anglo-Saxons.  Some 
of  them  say  outright  that  the  Rhodes'  Scholarship 
Trust  will  enable  the  German  Emperor  to  give  candi- 
dates for  the  diplomatic  service  a  good  training  in 
English  studies  without  expense;  and  that  when  they 
leave  Oxford  they  will  be  more  uncompromising 
Germans  than  ever.  The  Americans  are  regarded  as 
more  hopeful  subjects  of  Anglo-Saxon  missionary 
effort  than  the  Germans." 
226 


These  last  remarks  indicate  clearly  the  object  of  the  Rhodes' 
Scholarships. 

By  taking  from  their  native  country  in  every  year  such  large 
numbers  of  American  students  and  by  placing  them  for  so 
long  a  time  under  the  strong  influence  of  British  students  and 
professors  at  a  British  university,  such  an  institution  clearly 
aims  at  nothing  less  than  to  form,  in  time,  of  the  recipients 
of  these  scholarships  a  vast  army  of  active  agents,  who  may 
be  counted  upon  to  carry  out  in  the  United  States  England's 
fond  hopes,  as  they  become  influential  citizens  or  leaders  and 
official  representatives  of  the  American  people. 

The  great  danger  to  the  freedom  of  the  United  States 
from  this  institution  becomes  clear  when  it  is  shown  that 
Rhodes'  idea  of  a  World  Empire  under  control  of  Great  Britain 
is  endorsed  and  furthered  by  Andrew  Carnegie  and  many 
other  men  of  great  influence.  An  article,  published  over  Car- 
negie's signature  in  the  North  American  Review  of  June  1893, 
under  the  heading  "A  Look  Ahead"  contains  the  following 
passage : 

"Let  men  say  what  they  will,  I  say  that  as  surely 
as  the  sun  in  the  heavens  once  shone  upon  Britain  and 
America  united,  so  surely  is  it  one  morning  to  rise, 
shine  upon  and  greet  again  the  "RE-UNITED 
STATES,"  THE  BRITISH  AMERICAN  UNION." 

The  purpose  of  this  union  Carnegie  set  forth  in  the  same 
article  as  follows: 

"The  advantages  of  a  race  confederation  are  so  numer- 
ous and  so  obvious  that  one  scarcely  knows  how  to 
begin  their  enumeration.  Consider  its  defensive  power. 
A  reunion  of  the  Anglo-Americans,  consisting  to-day 
of  one-hundred  and  eight  millions,  which  fifty  years 
hence  will  number  more  than  two  hundred  millions, 
would  be  unassailable  upon  land  by  any  power  or 
combination  of  powers  that  it  is  possible  to  create.  We 
need  not,  therefore,  take  into  account  attacks  upon  the 
land;  as  for  the  water,  the  combined  fleets  would 
sweep  the  seas.  The  new  nation  would  dominate  the 
world  and  banish  from  the  earth  its  greatest  stain  — 
the  murder  of  men  by  men.  It  would  be  the  arbiter 
between  nations,  and  enforce  the  peaceful  settlement 
of  all  quarrels.  Such  a  giant  among  pigmies  as  the 
Re-United  States  would  never  need  to  exert  its  power, 
but  only  intimate  its  wishes  and   decisions.'' 

And  at  another  place  Carnegie  says: 

"Were  Britain  part  of  the  Re-United  States,  all  that 
she  would  be  interested  about  in  Europe  would  be 

227 


fully  secured;  namely  the  protection  of  her  own  soil 

and  the  command  of  the  seas.  No  balance  of  power 
or  any  similar  question  would  be  of  the  slightest  im- 
portance. The  re-united  nation  would  be  prompt  to 
repel  any  assault  upon  the  soil  or  the  rights  of  any  of 
its  parts." 

We  leave  it  to  those  readers  acquainted  with  the  history  of 
England  to  imagine  the  consequences,  which  such  a  union, 
under  the  leadership  of  the  unscrupulous  diplomats  of 
England,  would  have  for  all  other  nations. 

Carnegie  not  only  expressed  his  resolution  to  bring  about 
this  reunion  in  the  words:  "Whatever  obstructs  reunion,  I 
oppose;  whatever  promotes  it,  I  favor!"  but  he  also  spent 
many  million  dollars  for  this  same  purpose.  Numerous  Amer- 
icans believe  that  the  establishment  of  a  discretionary  endow- 
ment pension  fund  of  almost  $20,000,000  for  American 
college-  and  university  professors  has  been  made  with  no 
other  design,  than  to  influence  these  professors  to  lend  their 
great  moral  assistance  to  Carnegie's  aims,  just  as  such  help 
is  expected  from  that  army  of  men,  who  received  the  "benefits" 
of  the  Rhodes'  Scholarships. 

Surmise  is  rife  also,  that  Carnegie's  endowment  of 
$10,000,000  for  "International  Peace"  has  no  other  end  than 
to  proclaim  through  its  large  staff  of  well  paid  orators  and 
lecturers  to  the  people  of  our  republic  the  blessings  they  are  to 
get  when  they  will  forget  the  evil  doings  of  Jefferson,  Franklin, 
Henry,  Washington,  Herchheimer,  Muhlenberg  and  all  the 
other  foolish  mutineers  of  the  "War  of  Rebellion,"  and  will 
return  to  their  original  vassalage  of  England. 

To  discredit  these  "rebels,"  numerous  orators  and  authors 
are  constantly  at  work.  Harvard  professors  have  explained 
in  public  lectures,  that  George  Washington  had  an  unexampled 
temper  and  neither  possessed  large  brain  power  nor  educa- 
tion; that  Benjamin  Franklin  was  a  liar  and  dressed  freakishly 
to  be  a  social  lion;  and  that  Patrick  Henry,  Jeremiah  Belknap 
and  Noah  Webster  speculated  on  inside  tips  received  from 
Congressmen.  It  fell  to  the  lot  of  Poultney  Bigelow  to  besmirch 
the  memory  of  Steuben  by  publishing  in  the  New  York  Sun  of 
May  2,  1915,  that  "the  famous  Steuben  obtained  his  rank  in 
the  American  Army  by  a  pious  Prussian  fraud,"  and  that  "he 
was  one  of  the  alleged  patriots,  who  came  to  Washington 
with  bogus  titles  to  rank,  and  sought  for  the  triumph  of  Amer- 
ican liberty  only  in  so  far  as  a  salary  followed  in  its  wake."  — 

The  gradual  elimination  from  our  public  school  histories  of 
all  reference  to  the  nefarious  part  played  by  England  in  Amer- 
ican history;  the  movement  to  ignore  the  celebration  of  the 
Fourth  of  July  and  substitute  the  signing  of  the  British  Magna 
Charta  to  be  celebrated  by  American  youth  as  the  true  origin 
of  our  independence,  as  proposed  by  Carnegie,  are  so  many 
indications,  whither  currents  are  carrying  our  people. 

228 


Distrust  in  the  real  objects  of  the  "International  Peace 
Society"  grows,  when  we  note  that  its  president  is  Elihu  Root, 
England's  solicitor  in  America;  and  that  among  its  vice- 
presidents  are  men  like  Dr.  Charles  W.  Eliot,  President 
Emeritus  of  Harvard,  and  Joseph  H.  Choate,  U.  S.  Am- 
bassador to  Great  Britain.  The  former  is  the  man,  who 
in  1  9  1  3  at  a  banquet  in  New  York  lauded  German  civilization 
to  the  skies,  stating  that  to  no  other  country  America  is  so 
deeply  indebted  as  to  Germany.  Since  the  outbreak  of  the 
European  Conflict  this  same  person  has  become  notorious 
for  expressing  diametrically  opposite  views  and  for  suggesting 
urgently  that  the  United  States  should  prepare  to  enter  the 
war  in  aid  of  the  Allies  and  help  in  the  destruction  of  Germany. 
Ex- Ambassador  Choate  startled  in  January  1916  his  hearers, 
when  at  a  banquet  of  the  "Pilgrims  Society"  he  addressed 
the  guests  in  the  words:  "I  now  ask  you  all  to  rise  and  drink 
a  good  old  loyal  toast  to  the  President  and  King  George  of 
England!" 

Hand  in  hand  with  such  "patriots"  works  a  powerful  pro- 
British  press,  influenced  and  controlled  by  Lord  Northcliffe, 
publisher  of  the  London  Times,  and  by  J.  P.  Morgan,  the 
American  financial  and  munition  agent  for  Great  Britain. 

By  displaying  an  exceedingly  hostile  attitude  toward  every- 
thing German;  by  accusing  the  German  element  in  the  United 
States  of  disloyalty  toward  the  land  of  its  adoption;  by  work- 
ing up  a  strong  anti-German  sentiment;  by  supplementing  their 
abusive  language  with  drawings  and  cartoons  of  the  most  insult- 
ing and  abominable  character;  and  last  but  not  least,  by  their 
incessant  efforts  to  force  the  United  States  into  war  with 
Germany,  this  un-American  press  has  not  only  degraded  itself 
but  has  made  evident  its  bondage  to  British  dictations. 

Inveigled  into  this  dangerous  conspiracy  are  the  owners  and 
presidents  of  hundreds  of  factories  making  arms  and  ammuni- 
tion; Senators  and  Representatives,  interested  in  the  stocks  of 
those  establishments,  which  provide  "things  to  kill"  or  are 
needed  to  bring  our  country  into  the  state  of  "preparedness;" 
furthermore  university  professors,  ministers,  authors  and  many 
other  American  citizens  of  prominence.*) 

What  havoc  and  dreadful  demoralization  has  already  been 
caused  by  this  pro-British  propaganda  among  our  people, 
appears  from  the  fact,   that  an  "American  Legion"  has  been 


*)For  full  information  about  this  subject  we  refer  to  Carnegie's 
article  in  the  "North  American  Review"  of  June  1893;  to  the  publi- 
cation "The  Conquest  of  the  United  States,"  distributed  by  the 
"American  Truth  Society"  in  New  York;  to  the  well  documented 
disclosures  appearing  in  the  "Fatherland"  of  March  22,  and  April  26, 
1916;  to  S.  Ivor  Stephen's  booklet  "Neutrality,"  New  York,  1916; 
to  "Issues  and  Events,"  "Fair  Play"  of  1916,  etc. 


229 


formed,  to  fight  in  British  uniforms  in  Flanders  against  that 
country  which  since  the  birth  of  our  Republic  has  been  a  true 
friend  of  our  United  States:  Germany. 

To  give  the  reader  an  idea  of  the  demoralization  that  has 
taken  place  among  our  people,  we  quote  here  verbally  from 
a  lengthy  article,  which  under  the  heading: 

"First  of  American  Legion  off  for  Flanders" 

appeared  in  the  Magazine  Section  of  the  New  York  Times  of 
May  28,  1916.  Approving  the  formation  of  the  "American 
Legion,"  this  paper  states,  that  the  legion  consists  of  American 
citizens  and  that  they  adopted  "as  their  brigade  badge  the  coat 
of  arms  of  George  Washington  (!)  on  the  Canadian  maple 
leaf.  The  recruiting  station  of  the  legion  is  Toronto,  and  here 
have  assembled  representatives  of  forty-five  States  and  Terri- 
tories of  the  United  States,  and  here,  without  renouncing 
American  citizenship,  they  have  made  oath,  each  of  them, 
as  follows: 

"I  will  be  faithful  and  bear  true  allegiance  to  his  Majesty 
King  George  V.  and  I  will,  as  in  duty  bound,  honestly  and 
faithfully  defend  his  Majesty  in  person,  crown,  and  dignity 
against  all  enemies  and  will  observe  and  obey  all  orders  of  his 
Majesty  and  of  all  the  Generals  and  Officers  set  over  me." 

The  same  article  contains  also  the  interesting  notes,  that  "at 
every  meal  in  the  mess  room,  decorated,  by  the  way,  with  both 
the  United  States  and  British  flags,  the  American  officers  rose 
and  drank  the  toast  "The  King." 

Much  ado  has  been  made  in  our  histories  about  the  poor 
Hessian  soldiers,  who,  having  no  free  will,  during  the  1 8th 
century  by  their  rulers  were  hired  out  to  King  George  III.  to 
fight  his  battles  and  suppress  the  Americans  in  their  heroic 
struggle  for  liberty.  It  was  left  to  our  20th  century  to  witness 
the  much  more  shameful  spectacle,  that  free  American  citizens 
voluntarily  hired  themselves  to  King  George  V.,  to  fight  his 
mercenary  battles  and  help  to  crush  a  friendly  nation,  which  is 
struggling  heroically  for  its  existence. 

And  these  men  wear  a  badge  showing  the  coat  of  arms  of 
George  Washington! 

Against  this  profanation  of  the  escutcheon  of  the  "Father 
of  our  Country"  and  against  the  gross  offences  committed  by 
these  and  many  other  Americans  against  the  spirit  of  true 
neutrality  none  of  the  above  named  "patriots"  has  raised  one 
single  word  of  protest.  While  they  joined  in  baseless  insinua- 
tions and  unjustified  attacks  upon  the  character  of  the  German 
American  element,  they  remained  singularly  silent  in  face  of 
the  pro-British  propaganda  carried  on  in  our  country  to  verify 
the  dreams  of  Rhodes  and  Carnegie  of  the  "Re-United  States." 

It  have  been  these  deplorable  conditions  which  incited  a 
true  American,  Mr.  Frank  Pease,  to  express  his  disappointment 

230 


in  bitter  words.  In  the  "International"  for  March,  1917,  he 
says:  "Until  1914  America  possessed  a  great  and  noble  myth, 
perhaps  the  greatest  and  noblest  that  has  yet  appeared  on 
earth  —  the  Epic  of  1776.  Its  central  point  of  irrefutable 
datum  of  history,  this  myth  so  dear  to  the  ardent  fancy  of 
each  new  generation  of  our  schoolboys,  rallied  in  its  penumbral 
train  a  pictured  pageant  of  heroes  and  heroines,  brave  men, 
intrepid  women,  surprising  tales  of  exploit,  undying  loyalty, 
supreme  defiance  to  oppression,  and,  finally,  that  masterpiece 
of  human  inspiration,  Victory.  Across  the  luminous  tapestry 
of  tradition  these  shadowy-real  figures  moved  as  gods  in  the 
creating  of  our  national  myth.  (Perhaps  they  were  gods!)  At 
all  events  each  generation  of  American  youth  since  has  viewed 
them  as  gods,  paid  them  the  homage  that  gods  should  be  paid 

—  which  is  unquestioning  faith  —  re-created  the  epic  of  their 
labors  in  sublimations  of  fancy,  but,  chief  of  all,  youth  incor- 
porated much  of  their  heroic  virtues  in  the  development  of  its 
own  character.     But  this  was  prior  to    1914. 

In  1914  what  happened?  What  became  of  our  national 
myth?  Who  stole  or  destroyed  it?  Who  robbed  our  cradles 
and  despoiled  our  future  of  its  noblest  psychological  possession 

—  the  Epic  of  '76?  Who  or  what  has  so  confused  and  dis- 
connected contemporaneity  from  our  past  that  there  exists  not 
a  single  schoolboy  capable  of  discerning  truth  from  falsehood: 
the  truth  of  that  stalwart  myth  from  the  present  falsehoods  of 
contradictory  sentiment  in  favor  of  the  one-time  enemy?  How 
comes  it  the  once  diamond-clear  Epic  of  '76  is  now  so  blurred, 
so  seemingly  irrelevant,  so  indecisive  in  our  present?  Was  it 
all  delusion?  Was  there  no  tyrant?  Were  there  no  heroes, 
no  clash  of  arms,  no  triumphs?  Have  our  schoolboys,  then, 
imbibed  a  false  history  and  a  false  idealism? 

Myths  are  very  important  factors  in  the  making  of  nations. 
He  who  robs  a  nation  of  its  myth  violates  its  soul.  No  nation, 
be  it  young  or  in  the  full  prime  of  its  maturity,  can  afford  to 
be  robbed  of  its  myth.  It  could  not  persist  for  a  single  genera- 
tion without  its  myth.  A  myth  is  the  very  cement  of  a  nation's 
substance.  Now  could  there  be  discovered  a  nation  where  the 
social  cement  of  its  myth  is  a  more  important  ingredient  than 
in  America,  composed  as  it  is  of  the  most  diverse  aggregation 
of  men  and  manners  ever  assembled  under  one  rule,  one  ideal, 
one  common  interest? 

Since  1914  we  are  beginning  to  reap  that  ill  harvest,  sown 
by  the  muckraker.  What  we  are  witnessing  to-day  is  the 
result  of  undermining.  Nowhere  is  this  more  apparent  than 
in  the  irrelevancy,  the  dimness  and  the  forgetfulness  toward 
that  grand  panorama  of  psychological  values  embodied  in  our 
national  myth.  This  myth  has  become  the  obscure  property 
of  antiquarians,  Fourth  of  July  orators,  and  emerged  politicians. 
No  longer  does  it  breathe  upon  youth  the  sacred  fire  of  valor, 

231 


the  lesson  of  separateness,  the  high  resolve,  the  old  proud  will 
to  becoming. 

In  its  place  we  have  the  wide  talk  of  "rapprochement,"  the 
"consanguinity  of  race,"  the  "common  medium  of  language," 
and  there  goes  about  the  sinister  story  of  a  "secret  alliance," 
connived  at,  indeed  striven  for,  by  some  of  the  highest  officials 
of  the  nation. 

Anglo-maniacs,  in  attacking  all  that  was  fixed,  sacred,  in- 
valuable to  the  perpetuity  of  our  myth,  attacked  the  very 
fundament  of  our  national  faith.  The  direct  pro-English  propa- 
ganda is  the  profoundest  blow  ever  leveled  at  the  traditions 
of  American  separateness  and  self-sufficiency.  Substituting 
the  myth  of  the  British  Empire  for  our  own  Epic  of  '76,  it  is 
an  underhand  attempt  to  de-nationalize  us  and  implies  em- 
barkation upon  undiscovered,  and  —  who  could  doubt  — 
unrestful  seas. 

To  uphold  true  American  ideals,  and  to  frustrate  the  sinister 
plots  against  the  independence  of  our  country  are  the  ends  all 
German  Americans  must  strive  for  with  might  and  main.  In 
conjunction  with  other  loyal  citizens  they  must  demand  that 
the  noble  heroes  of  our  two  wars  for  independence  shall  not 
have  fought  in  vain  and  that  the  achievements  of  Jefferson, 
Franklin,  Washington,  Herchheimer,  Steuben  and  all  the  other 
patriotic  men  of  those  great  times  shall  not  become  obliterated. 
They  must  insist,  that  our  republic  has  a  higher  destiny  than 
that  of  becoming  a  satrap  of  a  country  the  history  of  which  is 
made  up  of  the  most  abominable  crimes  against  liberty  and 
of  incessant  outrages  against  every  country  and  island  too 
feeble  to  offer  resistance. 

Now  is  the  time  when  every  citizen  should  take  to  heart 
the  admonition  of  Carl  Schurz: 

"MY  COUNTRY!    WHEN   RIGHT,   KEEP   IT  RIGHT; 

WHENWRONG,  SET  IT  RIGHT!"  which  far  surpasses  the 
saying    "My   Country   right   or  wrong!" 

The  German  Americans,  whose  duty  it  is  to  protect,  like 
all  loyal  citizens,  the  independence  of  our  country,  must 
continue  to  use  the  effective  weapon  Truth  against  misrepresen- 
tation and  deception. 

Only  by  adhering  to  the  excellent  advice  given  by  George 
Washington  in  his  Farewell  Address,  to  avoid  all  entangle- 
ments with  foreign  nations,  our  citizens  can  maintain  this 
country  as  "the  Land  of  the  Free,"  and  enable  it  to  become  a 
model  for  other  nations  by  virtue  of  Impartiality,  Love  of 
Justice  and  Sincerity  of  Efforts  to  restore  to  mankind  the 
blessings  of  Peace. 


14  DAY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED    i 

LOAN  DEPT. 

This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below,  or 

on  the  date  to  which  renewed. 

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